Should You Declaw Your Cat?

Aggression

It's hypothesized that aggression is derived from guarding behavior, as cats in pain may have their fight or flight senses more cued up. Additionally, because they no longer have claws, declawed cats are potentially more likely to bite, but this has been studied with conflicting results. One study of 122 cats showed no significant difference in incidence of adverse behavior4 while another study of 877 cat owners purported that declawed cats were not any more likely to bite than clawed cats5.

What Are Alternatives to Cat Declawing?

Folks against declawing will tout that scratching is a normal cat behavior. As such, we as cat owners should find ways our cats can "appropriately" exhibit it.

Provide Ample Scratching Surfaces

Providing your cat with ample scratching surfaces is vital. Cats are all about texture. One cat may love sisal rope while another prefers cardboard scratchers. Try a bunch of different textures and items to see what your cat prefers. Orientation of the scratcher is also important. Cats may scratch and pluck at horizontal carpeting, but they also like vertical surfaces like drapes and furniture.