Declawing your cat so it won't scratch your furniture is cruel and inhumane. Declawing is the equivalent of cutting off your finger up to the first knuckle. There can be serious behavioral, physical, and psychological effects. It removes a cat's first line of defense. A cat that has been declawed will be forced to use biting for defense, or, if it does not learn to bite it will be defenseless. A declawed cat loses its ability to climb to saftey when pursued by other animals such as dogs and small children.

There are practical alternatives to declawing your cats. For instance, we clip our cat's claws regularly. One of us cradles the cat in our arms like a baby, and talks to it. The other gently takes a paw and presses our thumb into it to expose the claws. Just clipping the sharp tips of the claws is enough to keep them from doing damage to your furniture, your children, or each other. Be sure to provide scratching posts or pads for your kitties. A little catnip makes the scratching surface more attractive.