Re: Cats - Scratching proglem - Help!
 

Actually, it very often causes more problems, and is one of the reasons a great many cats end up in rescue. When you remove claws as a defence, cats will bite to defend themselves. Many will become aggressive, another issue it can cause is litter box problems.

Declawing is amputation of the toe at the first joint (not the claw) and causes severe pain. The cat then has to scratch on painful feet with amputated toes in the litter box, and will associate the pain felt with using the litter box and start peeing outside of the box instead.

Over the last few years I have volunteered in rescue and the majority of aggression and inappropriate elimination I have seen has been because of declaw ops.

If furniture truly does take precedent to the cat, it's better to find an organisation to rehome it rather than mutilate it. Obviously many cats manage fine without toes and claws, as humans would no doubt without fingertips if they had to, but we wouldn't choose it would we?

Believe me, if you'd seen photo's of declaw ops, and dealt with the cats damaged by it, you might go back to the opinion that it is cruel. I prefer to think of it as barbaric and backwards, and people who want to mutilate animals to save the furniture really shouldn't bother with pets.

My kids drew on the walls when they were little, with that manner of thinking I should have chopped off their fingers :D

We've managed fine with four kids and a stream of foster pets of all different temperaments over the years, I think it has taught my kids a healthy respect for animals and I've not often come across a cat who attacks a child without provocation.

I have fostered a couple who would attack kids, they'd been abused and had learned this response however they now live in homes with children perfectly happily after having learned to trust humans again.

It's also common for kittens who have been taken from their mothers too early to be more scratchy and bitey but you can teach them better manners, we certainly had to do that with our black kitten.

Re: Cats - Scratching proglem - Help!
 

Thank you all very much for your advice. I have successfully managed to trim their claws with not too much struggle. Have bought them an activity station and dowsed in catnip. Fingers crossed I can encourage them to use instead of my walls and carpet. Hubby still not convinced, but I will just have to live with that.

Wish me luck.

Thanks again..

Re: Cats - Scratching proglem - Help!
 

Chopping their legs off would also solve the problem and has the advantage of stopping them from wandering off and getting lost.

Our cats don't scratch indoors. That may be a function of their diet which largely consists of voles, mice and rabbits and is augmented by examples of the less agile avian species.

Re: Cats - Scratching proglem - Help!
 

Ooh that sounds interesting, is it easily available? My cat has never really taken to catnip and I'd like to try something... anything else! :)

He only does the attention-grabbing scratching btw, he's always been very good with the furniture, even though he's never taken to a scratch post, though he loves the wicker basket!

Re: Cats - Scratching proglem - Help!
 

Yep, it is easily available (or it was in Dallas at least) you can order it online here - http://www.thecatconnection.com/page...CH/KITTYKAVIAR

There might be a store that sells it nearer to you but that is where I used to buy it. It is fish flakes, so it does whiff a bit but it's never around long enough to make a room smell :D One of my cats lies outside the cupboard we keep it in and looks mournful until we give him a bit :D

Re: Cats - Scratching proglem - Help!
 

That looks very promising - thank you
He loves Whiskers "Oh So Fishy", so he'll likely eat this too :)

Re: Cats - Scratching proglem - Help!
 

What is a lynx point, not heard of that one before ??