Should you declaw your cat or not? Are you having trouble deciding which is the best for your cat? This is primarily a personal decision. However there are a number of factors you should take into consideration before you make the final decision. Here are a few tips to consider before making the final decision.
- First of all, you must be sure of where you will be keeping your cat. Will he be an outside cat? If so, he must have his claws to defend himself. Will he be an inside cat? If so, will he be allowed outside at all? If so, then once again he must have his claws. The only time it is safe to declaw your kitty is if he is not going to be outside without you at all.
- Second of all, you should consider why you really want to have him declawed. Is it because he is constantly scratching up your furniture or scratching you? If so, then a good quality scratching post may fix this problem. Your young kitty can be trained to use the post instead of your furniture. He can also be trained with rewards for proper behavior not to scratch you when playing.
- If you prefer not having to clip nails at all and not having to provide scratching posts then perhaps declawing is a good choice for you and your cat.
If you decide to declaw your cat he can still go outside from time to time as long as you do not leave him unattended. It is imperative that you have him well trained so that he will come to you when called. Declawing is a relatively simple procedure that costs about $55.00 depending on the area you live in.
