Although offered by most veterinarians, declawing your cat should not be an option for responsible cat owners.  If your furniture is more important than the new member (or members) of your family, then maybe you need to rethink whether or not you would like to have a feline pet.  What needs to be understood is that it is natural instinct for cats to scratch, and there are ways to prevent them from using your furniture as their scratching post.  Read more about scratching posts.

Declawing is mutilation - not only is the cat's nail removed, but so is the first knuckle where the root of the nail lies so that it will not grow back.  Imagine cutting your fingers off at the first knuckle - "declawing" is not like cutting off the end of your nails, it's cutting off the entire part of the finger your nail is attached to.

Because cats walk on their toes, imagine how uncomfortable declawing would make even moving around for a cat.  Many become overweight from not wanting to run around on their painful, deformed paws.  There are also some cats that stop using their litter box because it's too painful to dig in the litter to bury their wastes, and others develop behavior problems.  Needless to say, these unfortunate kitties end up in shelters and are sometimes euthanized if they are not adopted in time.

If you've read all this and are still considering getting your feline declawed, please take a moment to visit the following sites.  I guarantee you will be in tears, apologizing to your cat for even considering the procedure.  Please be aware that some of these sites are very graphic because they show the truth - please visit at your discretion.

StopDeclaw
This site has pictures of the procedure.  And honestly, if the picture on the opening page isn't enough to break your heart, I don't know what is.  Please read through this site - it's very informative.

Declawing Horror Stories
These are stories sent in by cat owners who had their cats declawed and found out the horrible consequences.  A few stories are by veterinary technicians who experienced the recovery of declawed victims.

The Truth About Declawing
This site is not graphic - it is purely factual with more information on the procedure and complications that might occur.  I have only touched the surface on this subject, so I urge you to go here and learn more.

So You're Thinking of Getting Your Cat Declawed?
This article was written by a veterinary technician explaining how the procedure is performed...what they don't tell you when you drop your cat off.

A Rational Look At Declawing
An informative article exploring all aspects of declawing, written by a veterinarian.

After reviewing this information, it should be easy to understand why this procedure is against the law in many countries including England, Australia, and Japan.  There are many alternatives to declawing on the market, such as Softpaws (covers that go over your cat's nails to reduce damage if they do have a scratching problem) and scratching posts sold in all pet stores.  Also, check out this site to learn how to correctly cut your cat's nails:  How to Trim Your Cat's Claws.

As a pet owner with three cats, I can honestly say that scratching is not that big of a problem with cats.  If they are taught young where "good" and "bad" scratching areas are, they have no problem at all.  If you do need help teaching your cat the difference between these areas, please contact us and we'll be more than happy to help.

Please, if you are still torn between your cat and your furniture, please contact us and we will help you find a home for your feline where their claws can be tolerated and cared for.  Please do not drop them off at a shelter, or worse, on the streets. We'd rather see them have a good home instead of being abandoned or euthanized due to the surplus cat population in shelters.