by Joshua Keyes DVM

Created on: July 07, 2008   Last Updated: December 18, 2009

Thankfully, declawing is becoming less and less common in the United States. Twenty years ago, many cat owners requested a declaw procedure as a matter of "routine", an add-on procedure that was frequently done at the same time as a spay or neuter, in order to "get it all taken care of at once". Today, cat owners and veterinarians both seem more willing to give each cat a chance to keep her claws.

No cat should have her claws removed as a matter or "routine." Instead, kittens should be provided with scratching posts right from the beginning of their introduction to their new homes, and people should observe the scratching behaviour of their cats closely. Some cats don't scratch very much at all! Others select an old chair, and an owner may decide that the cat's health is more important than the piece of furniture. For example, I live with two lovely cats who don't scratch much at all, and I don't own anything of extreme value anyway. It would have been unconscionable to declaw them at six months of age, "just in case."

If, however, I had a scratching cat and a spouse who had to own lavish furniture and expensive curtains or drapes, I would still avoid declawing. Instead I would apply vinyl coverings to the cats nails. I would be willing to take the time to replace them as needed. If you aren't comfortable applying these yourself, you might take the time to look for a vet or groomer with excellent client communication skills (ie, one who will take the time to help you figure out what will work.)

Some cats will not tolerate the work that it takes to apply vinyl caps, and you certainly don't want to be clawed by an impatient cat every six weeks. Then you might consider a tendonectomy instead of a declaw. This procedure is not a mutilation, and it it not nearly as painful as a declaw. It leaves the nails and toes intact but controls the scratching behavior by modifying the cat's ability to use the claw. As such, it's a safe compassionate alternative, one to be considered if the cat and her owner can not live together if the scratching behaviour continues.

Finally, simply trimming the nails may help. This is something you should try to do on a weekly basis, beginning with an eight week old kitten. That's when you have a chance to start out on the right foot with claw management.

As far as negative feedback with water sprays or any other device: it completely depends on the individual cat. Some can be trained, and some are simply too much of their own mind to respond to your corrections in any way.

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