Cats should never be declawed; regardless of what behaviors may be leading you to consider Declawing, there are always alternatives. Declawing your cat can lead to litter box avoidance, biting, aggression and arthritis among other physical and emotional problems. There are many safe alternatives to declawing that can help you live more harmoniously with your cat.

Trimming your cat’s nails regularly can help prevent damage caused from scratching. If your cat’s nails are blunt, they won’t be able to rip up furniture or cause you to bleed when they scratch you. Trimming a cat’s nails is relatively easy, especially if you get your cat used to the process when they are a kitten. You can also use things [that] help you trim their nails without getting scratched, like the cat bag that leaves only their head and front claws free.

It is also important to train your cat to scratch on a scratching post. If you continue to reinforce that [the scratching post] is an acceptable place to scratch, over time most cats will comply with your wishes. You should have several posts available throughout your home for your cat so they don’t get bored using the same scratching post over and over.

Try using soft paws or soft claws over your cat’s nails. These vinyl nail caps glue right over your cats existing nails and prevent them from doing damage with their claws. The caps naturally grow out with your cat’s nails and last an average of four to six weeks.

You may need to use a combination of all or some of these methods to prevent your cat from scratching up your home, but it will enable you to avoid the invasive and unnecessary declawing procedure. Cats need their nails for more than just scratching, and taking their nails away is inhumane.