Los Angeles is saving cats' paws and lives

Declawing (onychectomy) a cat is not just removing the claw. They actually amputate the entire last digit of their feet. Walking becomes difficult and painful. This causes many cats to stop using their litter box. They are also more likely to bite. Because of these resultant behavioral problems the declawed cat may be thrown out on the street or dumped at the local shelter.

Declawing is illegal in the cities of West Hollywood, Norfolk and most European countries. They consider it mutilation and animal cruelty. In 2006 the USDA enacted a ban on declawing wild animals, exotic animals and big cats citing animal cruelty. The Humane Society of the United States and PETA are also against declawing. Currently San Francisco, Beverly Hills and Santa Monica are working toward making it illegal in the next month.

If a cat is clawing the furniture, there are easy alternatives. One can apply "soft paws" which are nail tips. They come in lots of fun colors. One can also just trim the cats nails. Even easier than these alternatives is training the cat how to use a scratchy tree or mat. If you're lucky, your cat will love catnip. Just rub some on the cat tree or mat and he'll be clawing in no time. Some may need more encouragement. There are lots of articles on the internet on how to train your cat to use a cat tree.

If a cat is scratching people, there are other alternatives. Sometimes the cat is bored and just needs exercise. He may like a buddy cat to play with. You can also tire him out by playing with toys that you dangle off a string or use a laser pointer for him to chase. Don't play directly with your hand. If the cat is biting in response to say touching his belly, just don't touch his belly! You can find lots of easy ideas to curb scratching on the internet.

If you'd like to learn more about declawing, here are some helpful websites.

http://www.declawing.com

If you'd like to help make declawing illegal, go here. Cats everywhere will thank you!

http://www.thepawproject.com