Below, you'll find extensive information on leading pet first health care articles and products to help you on your way to success.

Closely Guarded Secrets About Declawing Your Cat
By Anita Barron, Director www.RescueTips.com
Even today, most vets will not blink an eye if someone says they want to declaw their cats as long as they can afford the procedure.


Research into declawing can shed a wealth of knowledge regarding the painful procedure and the numerous issues that can arise if a cat is declawed.

The United States is slow to embrace the fact that declawing is an extremely painful procedure which is banned in at least 20 countries (while in 2007 only 2 American cities effectively banned declawing). In all these communities and countries, upholstered furniture, the elderly and all the other “reasons given” peacefully co-exist with cats and their claws.

Declawing is a serious, painful surgery that involves a painful recovery! The surgery is actually amputating the last joint of your cat’s “toes”. Remember, your cat will still be forced to use its feet to walk, jump, and scratch in its litter box regardless of the amount of pain it is enduring.

What are some of the issues that can arise out of declawing a cat?

1) Cats DO wander outside either with the Guardian’s knowledge or by accident. Declawed cats are defenseless outdoors.
2) Many of the cats that experience the declaw surgery will resort to biting / using their mouth as a means of grabbing or defending themselves. Cat bites can be very painful AND can cause serious medical issues.
3) Some of the cats that are declawed are

believed to experience “phantom pain” at the end of the limb/toes where the amputation took place. The belief is that litter box issues in cats that have been declawed arises from this “phantom pain” that is experienced when the cat moves the litter around in the litter box. Shelters report that out of the owner relinquished cats that were left at shelters due to litter box issues, a majority of those cats were declawed. If you felt pain every time you sat on the toilet, after a while you may choose to relieve yourself somewhere else as well.
4) Amputating the claws, which is a vital part of the foot, drastically alters the conformation of the cat’s feet. The cat’s body is perfectly designed to give it the grace, agility and beauty that are the trademark of felines.

There are many ways to happily and peacefully live with a cat with claws:

• Provide the cat with an appropriate scratching post that will enable the cat to scratch horizontally AND vertically (placing enticing catnip on the scratching post for the initial attraction to the post)
• Regular Nail Trimming
• Vinyl Sheathes that can be placed over the claws
• Double Sided Tape that can be placed on furniture to discourage scratching

A cat scratching with its claws is not only an INNATE & NORMAL feline behavior, but it is a HEALTHY behavior with physical & emotional benefits for every cat, including those indoor only.
Drift back in time when you held your first purring cat. Experience that joy daily as a charter member of the United Pet Advocate Association (UPAA). Connect with Pet Advocates and members of the animal rescue organizations into a nationwide community of solution oriented individuals working collaboratively to unify themselves and their efforts. FREE memberships provide comprehensive tools to common animal related topics. Become a charter member now by visiting www.RescueTips.com.

We strive to provide only quality articles, so if there is a specific topic related to pet that you would like us to cover, please contact us at any time.

And again, thank you to those contributing daily to our pet first health care website.