Kinder Alternatives to Cat Declawing.

Scratching objects is a natural behavior in cats. They do it as a form of exercise and to mark their territory. Lately, we had noticed a lot people in the Clayton County area calling our hospital looking for information about cat declawing. The main reason they call us is because their cat is scratching the furniture. Most of the person calling is not aware that they can protect their furniture if they follow the following tips. 

• Provide sturdy, tall scratching post, and put them where the cat currently scratches, for example, next to that fancy sofa from Atlanta's Ikea Store.
• Dangle a wand toy on and around appropriate scratching surfaces to entice the cat to use them.
• Clap your hands when you catch her scratching inappropriately and entice the cat to use the scratching post.
• Protect the furniture by using a product called Sticky Paws. This product is  special kind of tape that deters cats from scratching certain areas at home.
• Trim the cat's nails and use vinyl nail covers like Soft Paws to prevent damage to the furniture and wooden floors. The Soft Paws application can be done at home, but some groomers and animal hospitals in the Clayton County area can do this procedure by request.