Question:
I've recently rescued a 8 month old cat from a local shelter
and will be spaying her in the near future but I'm still undecided about the
declawing - I want to make an informed decision and I've heard pro's and
con's about this. I want to do what is right for the cat, but she is very
difficult when I try to clip her nails, help... Mary
Answer:
Hi Mary,
Ultimately this is difficult personal decision, and you've already heard the pros and cons.
When you declaw a cat, it is permanent.
Our suggestion is to always try every last resort before declawing a cat.
Some things you can try include;
- Food treats while clipping nails..in general,try to make the experience pleasant for the animal.
- You can try cutting a few nails while he's sleeping deeply...try to do a few at a time at first...pet him before you start...reassure him...
- Try putting out many scratch posts or pads to keep him scratching regularly.
- Of course you can always call an animal trainer or behaviorist, (ask your vet for a recommendation)
- With 2 people, it's quite easy to clip a difficult cat's nails. One person holds the cat in a special position (Ask your vet for a demo!!) while the other clips the nails.
- Or if after you've tried several solutions, he's really too difficult and you can afford it.... just bring the pet into a pet grooming shop once every 3 weeks to 1 month, they'll clip nails for about 10-20 dollars.
Hope that helps,
Samantha
Cat owner and breeder for over 20 years