Cat Declawing

Cats are naturally driven to periodically hook their front claws into suitable surfaces and pull backwards, in order to clean the claws and remove the worn outer sheath as well as exercise and stretch their muscles. This scratching behavior seems enjoyable to the cat, and even declawed cats will go through elaborate scratching routines with every evidence of great satisfaction, despite the total lack of results.

Indoor cats benefit from being provided with a scratching post so that they are less likely to use carpet or furniture which they can easily ruin.
Commercial scratching posts typically are covered in carpeting or upholstery, but some authorities advise against this practice, as not making it clear to the cat which surfaces are permissible and which are not; they suggest using a plain wooden surface, or reversing the carpeting on the posts so that the rougher texture of the carpet backing is a more attractive alternative to the cat than the floor covering. Some indoor cats, however, especially those that were taken as kittens from feral colonies, may not understand the concept of a scratching post, and as a result will ignore it.
Although scratching can serve cats to keep their claws from growing excessively long, their nails can be trimmed if necessary, with a small nail trimmer designed for humans, a small pair of electrician’s diagonal cutting pliers, or a guillotine type cutter specifically designed for animal nail trimming. Care must always be taken to avoid cutting the quick of the claw, analogous to cutting into the tip of a finger and equally painful and bloody. The position of the quick can be easily seen through the translucent nail of a cat with light colored claws but not in cats with dark colored nails, who therefore require carefully trimming of only small amounts from the nails.
In many other European countries, it is forbidden under the terms of the European Convention for the Protection of Pet Animals, unless “a veterinarian considers [such] non-curative procedures necessary either for veterinary medical reasons or for the benefit of (the) animal”
n Britain, animal shelters find it difficult to place imported cats that have been declawed and subsequently most are euthanized
While some people suggest cats not be declawed until 5-6 months of age, many veterinarians who practice this surgery are of the opinion that it is advantageous to declaw the cat as soon as it is old enough to sustain surgery (around 2-3 months of age, depending on size), reasoning that younger cats are more adaptable to the amputation, and that distal phalanges in the cat at this age are still flexible cartilage rather than bone, making the operation less severe.
After a cat has been declawed, it should be allowed to rest, and restrained from jumping (if possible) for a few days. After being declawed, as after any surgery, there may be a period of about a week, sometimes less, when the cat will be uncomfortable being played with or picked up. As with any surgery, there is a slight risk of death, as well as of complications which may leave the cat with an increased risk of infection and/or life-long discomfort in its paws.

An alternative to declawing is the application of blunt, vinyl nail caps that are affixed to the claws with nontoxic glue, requiring periodic replacement when the cat sheds its claw sheaths (about every four to six weeks). However, the cat will still experience difficulties because the capped nails are not as effective as claws.

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