Tags: Cat Magazine, Cat Tips, Cat Health, Cat Nutrition, Feline Health, Declawed, Declawing Cats

I am thinking very seriously about getting my daughter a kitten. It will almost always be in the house unless we are outside with it. Should I have it declawed or not? And when do you make that decision, is it better for them to have it done as a kitten or later as an older cat.

IF you feel you need to do it, it's always better when they're very young.

There are alternatives, though not permanent. You can get tips put on their claws so they can't scratch or ruin things, but they eventually fall off and need replacing time and time again.

Personally, I think it's not right to declaw a cat. There are instinctual things they use them for. If you provide the cat with enough toys and scratching posts, you shouldn't have to worry about furniture or draperies getting ruined. And believe it or not, cats can be trained - they use litter boxes, and that's a trained behavior. I even have a friend who has trained every cat she's ever known to LIKE taking baths! :)

If you have a cat that's climbing the drapes, take the cat off and put it in front of a scratching post. If it's playing too rough, stop playing with it and say "NO" in a firm but not too loud voice.

Think about it - it's kind of like saying that human beings don't "need" their fingernails to survive, so let's get 'em removed! Gall bladder? Appendix? Spleen? Take it out at birth! It's not right, and neither is declawing a cat. Regardless of the cat's age, it's a painful process. Why do that if there's no dire need?

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