Declawing (onychectomy) is more than just removing the claws. The procedure (which is extremely painful) involves amputating part of the toe.

After declawing a cat will have very sore, painful, and possibly swollen paws for up to two weeks. Her paws will have to be wrapped for several days following surgery. Declawing using laser surgery means a less painful recovery, but not all vets are skilled in the techniques of laser surgery.

You will have to use shredded newspaper in her litter box as regular kitty litter will irritate her paws and might even cause an infection. There have been some reports of cats not using their litter box even after their paws are healed. This is thought to be because they associate the pain in their paws with digging in the litter box.

Your cat call not be able to go outside. She has no way of defending herself against other cats or dogs, nor can she climb a tree to escape danger. Also without her claws to defend herself, she may turn to biting to defend herself. Cat bites are more serious than scratches.

The right toys to scratch

The first way to keep your kitten from getting in trouble by digging it’s claws into everything in your home is to give it the right cat supplies to scratch. You should purchase scratch pads or posts for your cat, so it has something appropriate to use for a nail workout. One important thing to keep in mind is that you choose a scratching platform that is the right size for your cat. Your cat should be able to stretch to its full capacity when using the scratching item you have purchased. Often a way to take care of this need is to purchase a cat tree piece of furniture that is tall enough for your cat to stretch out and scratch and also has a place for your cat to climb, play and even curl up and sleep. This is a way to take care of two necessary cat supplies in one shot.

Water bottle or gun

Cats need to scratch. That’s just a fact of life. It’s the way they trim their own nails. But what they scratch is something you can have a little control over. While some people scold or even try to spank cats to stop them from scratching items they should not be scratching, a better way is to have a deterrent that your cat doesn’t like, but is not harmful. This is where water bottles and water guns come in. these simple cat supplies can go a long way towards convincing your cat there are better things to claw in the house. Once your cat starts to dig at something it is not supposed to, a quick squirt of water in the face will change its mind.