My cat keeps scratching my carpet should i get her declawed oris there a way train her?
A cat's natural instinct is to stretch and scratch. That's what helps develop their muscles, so they need to be able to do this somewhere. A scratching post sprinkled with a little catnip should take care of the problem. Also, I used to be a veterinary technician and assisted in many declawing surgeries. All I can say is that its very brutal and inhumane. It can be likened to having your fingers chopped off at the second knuckle! They are in severe pain and sometimes bleed for weeks after. It seems that a trim of the nails once a month would be a safe, painless and surprisingly easy alternative to declawing. Another thing, if he accidentally gets out and can't be found for several days, w/o claws, he cannot defend himself!!! I hope everything works out for you two! Erin G. FanciBeast Maine Coons
If you don't have any toys or a scratching post you should get one because I have 2 cats that used to do that but we bought them stuff for Christmas like new toys,treats,and scratching post. One of them is declawed and still tries to scratch it,just to let you know.
It shouldn't be too hard. All you need to do is to set up a behavioral modelling program. First of all, you have to punish your cat whenever it scratches the carpet (make loud noise, throw water or a unharmful object at her), but this punishment should not be too tough (so you it will not develop depression or anxiety) and it should be immediate. Secondly, you have to reinforce the cat's desired behaviour. Try to draw your cat's attention to the scratcher. Try to feed her only near it. Then after a few days, try to show the cat how to use it, by handling her claws on the scratcher. And then, anytime the cat makes that move (touching the scratcher) give it a reward, like it's favourite food. In time it should work out fine. All living creatures are designed to learn from the enviroment, so the cat will learn from you, especially since it's you who has all the food, and that's what it's all about. It work did, with my cat (it used to scratch the furniture legs). I hope it answered to something. (my cat also learned to run beside me, when i go jogging - but just around the house)
Declawing is the very last option, to be used only when everything else has failed miserably at least twice and you are about to abandon her. How would you like the first joints of all your fingers removed, even if you didn't need them for defense? Cats need something to claw. Carpet-covered scratching posts work well for some cats. Others prefer sisal-wrapped posts. I had one cat that liked a chunk of log with the bark still on it. Every cat I've ever known has loved to scratch corrugated cardboard: box, sheet, or in a scratcher. You can put catnip on a new scratcher to attract the cat in the first place. After that you shouldn't need it, but they do enjoy it once in while. I clip my cats' claws every 3 to 4 weeks; just press on the paw pad and the claws come out. For kittens, you can use an ordinary people-type nail clipper. For larger cats, you can buy clippers at the pet supply store. If the cat's claws are white, you can see where to clip; just in front of the pink, as on your own nails. If the cat's claws are black or cloudy, clip the narrow tips just ahead of where they widen. If the cat won't cooperate, it may take two people and a towel wrap, but it only takes a few minutes every few weeks.
My dad's cat ruined his carpet with this. Anyway I declawed my cat, he's happy, healthy, playful. All he has to defend himself against in our house is the mighty cat-nip mouse, he is not an out door cat, I won't let my cat out doors (live in the city, that would not be good). If you don't plan on letting the cat out, declawing might be an option.
