You can live harmoniously alongside your cat with claws and still maintain nice furniture by understanding a bit more about your cat’s natural behaviors, and enriching your home with items your cat can scratch. Let’s learn more about your cat’s amazing body. Why Do Cats Have Claws? Your domestic cat has maintained their instincts of their wild ancestors. Cats’ claws are physically unique and serve several functions. The forelimb claws are retractable and allow her to expose or retract her nails as needed. To read more on this story, click here:Living with a Clawed Cat
Follow these tips to have a fresh smelling home, and a healthy cat! Cleaning Up After Kitty Your fabulous feline may think cat hair is the ultimate accessory. If you don’t agree, start by getting a good vacuum cleaner. Look for one with strong suction that has a pet hair attachment. Don’t forget to vacuum chairs and curtains. Wear wet rubber gloves and run your hands over your cat’s favorite spots. Brush tape, sticky-side out, over your clothes. Buy pet bedding that’s easy to clean. And if your kitty goes outside, place a washable cushion where she goes in and out to catch muddy paws. Keeping Your Cat Clean Cats do a good job of cleaning themselves, but yours may need a bath if he gets really dirty -- or if someone in your house has allergies. Start by trimming your cat’s nails to prevent scratches. You can do it yourself with cat nail clippers -- ask your vet to show you how. Brush your cat to remove loose hair or mats. Use only shampoo for cats or kittens and keep water out of his face and ears. Dry him with a towel or blow dryer on low. Give him a treat at the end, so he’ll start to associate a bath with something pleasant. No More Fleas and Ticks No matter what type of flea prevention you use -- spot-on-the-back, flea collar, pills, or shampoo -- follow the directions carefully. Don’t use products for adult cats on kittens, and never use dog products on cats. Whether prescription or over-the-counter, don't touch treated areas until they're dry. Get Fleas out of the House If your cat brings in fleas, it’s time for serious cleaning. Vacuum every day, including upholstered furniture, cracks in the floors, and along baseboards. Then replace the vacuum bag or wash the canister in warm, soapy water. Wash or replace any bedding where she sleeps (including yours), and consider steam cleaning your carpets. Use a flea comb on your cat, and then treat her with flea meds. Flea sprays are better than flea "bombs" to treat your home. Loving the Litter Box Cats are creatures of habit, even when it comes to their litter. Some like the clumping clay kind without a scent. Try a little baking soda on the bottom to help with odors. Scoop litter at least once a day. Dump it all out and wash the whole box once or twice a week for clay litter or every 2 to 3 weeks for clumping. And while you may like liners and covers, your cat may disagree. Liners can interfere with scratching. And, to cats, covered boxes can stink like port-o-potties. Litter Box: Location, Location, Location Like people, cats want a little privacy when they’re doing their business. But they also like to keep an eye on their surroundings. Tuck boxes out of sight but make them easy to reach, preferably at least one per level of your home. Keep them away from hot or loud appliances and noisy kids. Cats have sensitive noses, so keep smelly litter far from their food. When Accidents Happen Cats would rather use a litter box, so accidents are a sign something’s wrong. If your kitty’s upset about a change in your home, give her a little extra TLC. Don’t yell or punish her -- that will make things worse. Accidents also can be a sign of health problems like diabetes, kidney disease, urinary tract infections, or arthritis. Get her checked quickly before missing the box becomes a habit. Use an enzymatic cleaner to treat spots. Why Do Cats Spray? Spraying urine is how both male and female cats mark their territory. The urge is strongest if they haven't been fixed, so try to neuter or spay cats by age 5 months before the behavior starts. Stress can make your cat spray. So can scented cleaners, if he wants to cover the strange smell. Feed or play with him in areas he’s prone to mark. Keep likely targets -- new things, guests' belongings, and items he's already sprayed -- out of reach. Keep Food Safe Both people and animals can get food poisoning from spoiled pet food, so treat your cat’s food like you do your own. Don’t buy damaged packages. Store food in sealed containers. Refrigerate leftover wet food right away. Replace dry food every day. Wash your hands well after you feed your cat. Keep her food and dishes away from areas where you prepare and serve your meals. When You're Allergic to Your Cat As long as your allergy’s not serious, you don’t need to give up your kitty. Keep her out of your bedroom, and buy bedding made for people with allergies. Use air cleaners with high-tech filters. Special anti-allergy room sprays can clear the air, too. Avoid dust-catching rugs, curtains, and cloth furniture. Clean your house (and cat) often. Better yet, get someone else to do it. And talk to a doctor -- preferably a cat lover -- about medicine that will help. Should You Declaw? Declawing is much more serious than just removing a cat's nails. It usually involves taking out the last bone of each toe and can mean a life of problems for them. There are easier options. Cats need to scratch, so give yours scratching posts and toys. Teach them what’s off limits by using a squirt gun or noisemaker, not by yelling or swatting. Can Cats Make You Sick? It’s rare for healthy people to get sick from touching cats. Wash scratches and bites right away with water and mild soap. Always see a doctor for any bite, or if a scratch gets infected (red or swollen). Always wash your hands with soap after you clean litter boxes. If you’re using litter that can’t be flushed, throw away scoopings in sealed plastic bags. Cats and Babies Give your cat time to get ready for a new baby. Let him explore the nursery and get used to new smells like baby lotion. If you have to move his litter box, do it gradually. Let him get comfortable, but don’t let him nap on the nursery furniture. Cats cuddling up next to newborns can make it hard for babies to breathe. Close the door or tent the crib when your baby’s asleep to keep kitty out.
Paws have claws. That’s one of nature’s laws. But some cat owners believe that they should get their cats “declawed,” or to have their fingers and toes cut off at the last knuckle. To others, this declawing process is tantamount to mutilation. Veterinarian Rachel Fuentes posted on Facebook the gruesome aftermath of a cat that had undergone a declawing procedure where part of the nail tissue was left accidentally. Rarely, viable nail tissue gets left behind, and as the nail cannot grow out and become worn down, it can grow in a spiral embedded in the flesh. In this case, the nail burst open the cat’s wrist in a mass almost as big as a ping-pong ball. To read more on this story, click here:Declawed Cat Grows Painful, Spiraling Nail After Owner Amputates Cat’s Knuckles
A bill under consideration by the Denver City Council would make it illegal to declaw your cat, unless it was deemed medically necessary. Councilwoman Kendra Black, the bill’s sponsor, called it a “cruel practice” in an email to fellow council members asking for their support. “Most people don’t think about it,” Black said in an interview. “If you hear the term declawing, you might think it’s a simple procedure. It’s been sold to pet owners as, ‘Oh, we can spay or neuter your cat, and declaw them at the same time,’ and they don’t understand how awful it is. It’s like chopping off the last knuckle of your finger.” Professional veterinary societies tend to discourage the practice but have opposed efforts to legislate it based on the idea that more cats will be abandoned for problem scratching if declawing is not an option — though that has not been the experience of California cities that have banned the procedure. Black decided to sponsor the bill at the request of Dr. Aubrey Lavizzo, a Denver veterinarian who is active in the campaign to ban declawing as the Colorado director, Eastern Slopes, for the Paw Project. They became friends after serving together on the social consumption advisory committee, and he told Black about his concerns about cat declawing. The bill is very short: It says that it shall be unlawful for any person to declaw a cat, and if you are going to declaw a cat, it must be done by a licensed veterinarian using anesthesia and done for a medically necessary reason, such as pain, infection, injury or a congenital deformity that could cause pain or injury. Black said that if the bill were to pass, a committee would draft rules around enforcement, and the penalty likely would be a fine. I asked Black if she has cats. She does not. “I have a dog,” she said. “Who digs holes in my backyard, and I would never cut off his toes because he digs holes in my backyard.” The Colorado Veterinary Medical Association sees some reasons for declawing. An FAQ on the association’s website includes a question on cat declawing. The association discourages the practice and treats it as a last resort solution to problem scratching. Both the American Animal Hospital Association and the American Veterinary Medical Association state that de-clawing of domestic cats should be considered only after attempts have been made to prevent the cat from using its claws destructively or when its clawing presents a health risk for its owner(s). The following points should be considered before discussing de-clawing with your veterinarian: Scratching is a normal feline behavior, is a means for cats to mark their territory both visually and with scent, and is used for claw conditioning (“husk” removal) and stretching activity. Owners must provide suitable implements for normal scratching behavior. However, the association allows there are instances where declawing is better than the alternative. Scientific data do indicate that cats that have destructive clawing behavior are more likely to be euthanatized, or more readily relinquished, released, or abandoned, thereby contributing to the homeless cat population. Where scratching behavior is an issue as to whether or not a particular cat can remain as an acceptable household pet in a particular home, surgical onychectomy may be considered. There is no scientific evidence that de-clawing leads to behavioral abnormalities when the behavior of de-clawed cats is compared with that of cats in control groups. However, the American Association of Feline Practitioners does not support declawing. Their position statement opens with, “The American Association of Feline Practitioners strongly opposes declawing (onychectomy) as an elective procedure. It is the obligation of veterinarians to provide cat owners with alternatives to declawing.” Would a declawing ban actually lead to more cats being given up? That wasn’t the experience of the city of Los Angeles, its general manager Brenda Barnette said in a letter to Black. Los Angeles has had a ban on declawing for five years now, and the number of cats relinquished actually has actually gone down pretty dramatically in that time. The AAFP says the scientific literature does not support the idea that declawing prevents relinquishment or abandonment. “There is no current peer-reviewed data definitively proving that cats with destructive behavior are more likely to be euthanized, abandoned or relinquished. The decision of whether or not to declaw should not be impacted by these considerations,” the association says. Lavizzo didn’t learn how to declaw cats when he went to vet school in the 1960s, and he identifies the 1980s as the time period when the procedure became more common. The few studies out there that attempt to count the number of declawed cats find that between a fifth and a quarter of American cats are declawed. Lavizzo performed the procedure for years after he went into practice with another vet who already did it, but as he learned more about animal pain, he decided to stop. Lavizzo strongly disputes the assertion that declawing doesn’t affect cat behavior. (I reached out to the state veterinary association, but no one was available Friday. I’ll update this post when I hear back from them.) Cats who are declawed experience significant pain and related health problems after the procedure, Lavizzo said, but it’s not always recognized because cats don’t express pain in ways that we can see. Why is it so bad? Unlike the human fingernail, which just sits on top of your finger, a cat’s claw grows from its last knuckle, the third phalanx. Declawing procedures cut through the bone, but Lavizzo said the most common techniques are not very precise and often leave bone fragments along with injured bone tissue inside the cat’s paw. The procedure also severs tendons and prevents cats from walking on their toes as they should, leading to problems with gait and balance and causing arthritis and back pain. Cats that are declawed can be more prone to biting, he said, and to not using the litter box because scratching in the litter hurts them. These behaviors can also lead to cats being abandoned or relinquished. Lavizzo believes declawing continues because it’s a profitable procedure for vets, and he doesn’t think the justifications actually support the practice. “How can you justify cruelty that way?” he asked. “That’s where we need to stop the conversation.” Next steps: The Safety, Housing, Education and Homelessness Committee meets at 10:30 a.m. Oct. 25 to discuss the bill. The committee meets in Room 391 of the City and County Building, 1437 Bannock St. There will be 15 minutes of public comment, at two minutes per speaker. If the bill advances out of committee, it will be voted on by the full council.
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Many people falsely assume that declawing is just like trimming your nails or getting a manicure. In reality, it is a painful and permanently crippling procedure. The following are eight some reasons why you should never declaw your feline friend: 1) Declawing a cat is the equivalent of cutting a person’s finger off at the first knuckle. 2) Cats scratch to exercise and enjoy themselves, maintain the condition of their nails, and stretch their muscles. 3) Claws are a cat’s first line of defense: While we hope that your cat remains safely indoors at all times, if he or she were ever to get outside without claws, your cat would be far more vulnerable to predators and abusers. 4) Declawed cats often become more aggressive: Many people think that declawed cats are safer around babies, but in fact, the lack of claws makes many cats feel so insecure that they tend to bite more often as a means of self-protection. 5) Pain continues, even after surgery: Cats are in pain when they awake from the surgery, and the pain continues afterward. Nails can grow back inside the paw, causing extreme pain that you can’t see. 6) Declawed cats are most likely to go outside the litterbox: Without claws, even house-trained cats might start “doing their business” outside the litterbox in an attempt to mark their territory. 7) Deckawed cats have to relearn how to walk: Our toes are crucial to our balance, and it’s no different for cats! Because of impaired balance after the procedure, declawed cats have to relearn how to walk, much as a person would after losing his or her toes. 8) Many countries have already banned declawing Nearly two dozen countries—including Australia, England, and Japan—ban or severely restrict declawing surgeries. And many veterinarians in the United States refuse to perform the procedure. What You Can Do Instead Trim your cat’s nails regularly. When the cat is relaxed and unafraid, gently press on his or her toes until the claws extend. Use a pair of nail clippers, and cut only the tip of the nail, taking care not to damage the vein, or “quick.” The nail hook is what tears upholstery, so removing it virtually eliminates the potential for damage. Buy multiple scratching posts. Ideally, you should have two or more scratching posts in your home. Make sure that they’re sturdy and tall enough to allow your cat to stretch (3 feet or taller). Soft, fluffy carpeted posts won’t fulfill your cat’s clawing needs, so look for rougher posts. Teach your cat where to scratch and where not to scratch. Encourage your cat to use the scratching posts by sprinkling catnip on the posts once a week. Discourage your cat from scratching furniture by using a loud, firm voice whenever he or she starts to scratch—cats don’t like loud noises! Never use physical force. Instead, you might try using a squirt gun full of lukewarm water directed at your cat’s back.
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