Alternatives for De-Clawing Cats

Many pet owners love their cats but dislike how kitty is slowly destroying the family's furniture, draperies and bedding with her sharp claws. Many veterinarians will perform a de-clawing procedure, but this surgical procedure has risks of extreme pain, infection, post-operative behavioral problems, and the inability of the cat to defend herself. Cat owners can try alternatives to de-clawing before they take such drastic measures.

  1. Training

    • Dissuade the cat from scratching with a loud noise from a whistle.

      The first step in teaching kitty to stop scratching furniture is to consistently train her. While a cat physically needs to scratch, she can be taught to do it in an appropriate place. Set up several sisal posts throughout the house, and occasionally leave a treat or catnip on it as an incentive. Veterinarian Christianne Schelling suggests covering problem areas temporarily with aluminum foil or double-sided tape because cats don't enjoy the texture of those materials. A loud noise or a spray of water from a squirt bottle will also train kitty to scratch elsewhere.

    Clipping Nails

    • Some cats will tolerate having their claws trimmed, especially if they have experienced having them trimmed since they were kittens. The trimming will cut down on the amount of damage they can do. To help a cat get more accustomed to having its feet handled, make a point of touching the feet when you pet the cat, and squeeze the pads slightly to extend the claws. The Pet Station website suggests having a veterinarian show you exactly how to cut the curved part of the claw off, which will not hurt the cat in any way.

    Nail Caps

    • Another way to address cat scratching problems involves covering the claws. Small vinyl caps are glued onto the cat's claws so that the feline cannot hurt people or damage property. As with trimming, owners need to get the cat used to having its feet touched before trying this procedure, but it takes only a few minutes, and many cats get used to the caps quickly.

    Tendonectomy

    • Ask a veterinarian to perform a tendonectomy rather than de-clawing.

      When all else fails, veterinarians offer another procedure that is less invasive and problematic than the traditional de-claw surgery. According to Tampa Bay Vets, a tendonectomy clips the tendon that causes the muscle to retract so that a cat cannot extend its claws. The incision is much smaller than for a de-clawing surgery, so the recovery time and the chances of complications are much less for this procedure.