make people understand that declawing a cat is a painful unnecessary surgery and there are better ways to deal with cat's scratching

Our big kitty can lift his mammoth paws up to the couch for a stretch and scratch without thinking while the cat-scratching ‘station’ stands just feet away.

I’ll call him on it and get an alert look as he keeps going, hoping to get a good stretch before I chase him away from the couch because he knows. He’s a stubborn but he’s lovable and that’s just the way it is.

Our solution for the moment since getting new couches… we have three cat-scratching posts our cats use, but for our especially stubborn kitty, I put pieces of aluminium foil molded over the corners of the couch that he is tempted by. Works like a charm.

When I get around to it, I’m going to try stray pieces of double-sided tape instead, which are less obvious. Cats hate sticky things (our little kitty loves to hate Post-Its) and I think that will have a more lasting effect to discourage his compulsion to grab the couch. Plus it will be amusing if he forgets about the tape ;)

The claws of a cat are attached at the knuckle to the rest of the finger; it is like the first digit of the human finger.

When a cat is declawed, the first digit of each finger is half sawn off, half pulled out. It is very bloody and painful.

When declawed cats go home, they will often stop using the litter box because the sand is too painful on their feet, so they start doing thier business all over the house. At this point, many owners will abandon their cat because they are too much trouble; but really it was the owners who caused this problem.

It is so much better to use a scratching post. (the scratching post had to be a different material than your carpet, otherwise the cat will think that is it’s ok to scratch one, then it’s ok to scratch the other)

Also, cats don’t like citrus scents, so a citrus-scented product can help stop furniture scratching. Pet stores also sell bitter apple spray, which has the same effect.

and he’s keeping all of them!

My cat doesnt claw furniture at all. She was trained as a kitten though this is why its better to get a kitten than an older cat. I hope people avoid this surgery and just smack the cat when it scratches on furniture, I also have a scratching post and let her outside. These help her not to need to scratch furniture.

A friend of mine who had a very large agressive house cat refused to have his claws removed, even though it was shredding the furniture and drapes. He did, however, have the cat’s balls removed. If someone were to ask me if I’d rather have my balls cut off or my fingernails pulled out, what do you think my answer would be? My point is, that the removal of a cat’s claws doesn’t have to be painful, and sometimes is necessary. Now, if you would just apply your indignation to a cat’s balls, I’m with you.

that people still does this to their cats, I was quite old when I learned that people does this to their pets, I long thought it was something people only did to circus lions and other big cats back when they didn’t know better and thought that was horrible enough. I live in Sweden and it’s illegal here as in many other countries. I’m normally not one to suggest making things illegal to make bad things go away but I figure making it illegal is a first step. Cats have claws and more people should learn to accept that fact. I don’t like dogs barking so I’m not getting a dog…simple as that!

my mom was the only person i was trying to convince at the moment, becuase she was a big beliver of this, i bugged her so much she finally gave up and said they can keep their claws, im still going to spread my message to the world but i know 3 little guys will be safe for now =D

I foster kittens for a cat rescue that has an anti-declawing stance (thank goodness!) Anyone who is going to adopt a cat through them has to sign a document that says they will not declaw the cat. Of course, I am sure that most people still go and do it against the rules. My own mother got our cat declawed after signing this same document from another organization. I was too young to know better or to do anything about it, and she didn’t understand just how unnecessary and painful it was.

She recently adopted one of the kittens I had fostered, and I made it clear that she could not get him declawed; despite the rest of our family cats being declawed. She resisted, but then I showed her the facts. Needless to say, she was shocked.

I am so happy that I have been able to save at least one cat from this torture! I hope to save many more, as this inhumane practice needs to be stopped for good.

Thank you so much to everyone who has this is a goal! Let’s all keep fighting for their sake!

I think that in cats, like humans, some are smarter than others, some more stubborn, and so on.

The cat that I am sharing my home with, Frosty, is smart and a fast learner, even when compared with other cats I have lived with, and .. she is stubborn.

She knows that when I am not paying attention to her, as in when I am on the computer, she can start clawing the tablecloth (while looking over her shoulder at me)and it will get my attention, just like a child acting up to get mommy’s time.

In the past, when she clawed something I didn’t want her to, I would pick her up, take her to her scratching post, stand behind her, take a hold of her front legs and drag her paws down the post. I do this a few times and tell her what a good girl she is and love her up.

Now she knows, use the post and be a good kitty, and if she wants to piss me off or get my attention, use the tablecloth or the mattress. LOL Of course, this takes time and patience, repetition, but to me, having her toes chopped off is just not an option!

Imagine all your fingers and toes and now imagine them chopped off to the first knuckle. Think about how good cats are at balance and agility with all their fingers and toes!

Cats need their claws to protect themselves from outdoor nasties. Also, their climbing ability is effectively removed, making it hard to get out of a scrape.

To stop them from scratching furniture, provide them with a better scratching option, like a scratching post. Cats in the wild scratch on tree bark, so maybe a tree trunk would do the trick.

Also, avoid fabric on your furniture that is easily damaged by sharp objects.