Cats are born with claws, the same way that humans are born with fingernails and toe nails. Cats need claws in order to mark or scratch a specific place or territory that they have been in. Humans need finger nails to, scratch themselves or others, or for opening a letter envelope. Cats basically stretch their agile bodies in order to prepare their muscles when they dig their claws deeply into wood perhaps or a tree, and then they pull back from their hold. Scratching is a basic physiological need of cats.

So do cats need to be declawed? If cat owners truly care for the welfare of their cats, they would have to think twice on declawing their cats.

Declawing, what is it?

Declawing is done by taking away all the front claws of a cat. In a way this procedure is equal to the amputation of all the finger tips of a human being. For cats this surgery is painful and, for someone who is walking on all fours, terribly unnecessary.

Though the recovery of declawed cats may only take a few weeks or so, its physical and/or psychological effects could last a cat’s lifetime.

The following are the possible results once a cat has been declawed.

Ouch, ouch and ouch

Immediately after surgery, declawed cats suffer severe pain, though it is quite impossible to gauge how much pain they are experiencing. Declawed cats could be considered as amputees. Cats usually try to go on with their cat lives even with pain unless the pain eventually becomes unbearable. Although they may look and act normal does not mean they are free from aches.

Complications after the surgery

After the surgery, declawed cats usually experience one of the following post-surgery effects: presence of abscess, feelings of lameness, claw re-growth. Based on studies performed on declawed cats, it has been found that twenty five percent of them develop various complications. The same result has been found on cats who went under tenectomy. This is also a form of surgery that is currently being offered as an alternative to declawing. It is called this because only the tendons extended on the toes are the ones amputated.

Stiffness of the joints

Cats that are declawed experience stiffness of the joints since the tendons that manipulate the toes retract because of the surgery. As time goes by, these same joints freeze and ultimately they will no longer be able to extend their toes.

It has been thought though that cats really do not miss their claws since they also “scratch” continually even if they no longer have anything to scratch with. However, this act is really the cats’ way to stretch those frozen joints.

Catarthritis

Believe it or not, research shows that declawed cats immediately shift the weight of their bodies to the back and onto the larger pad in the front of their feet, away from their toes. The result is still evident despite giving these cats strong anti-pain relievers. If such an effect continues after declawing, the cat will ultimately stress its own joints in the leg, its spine and eventually suffer from arthritis.

Cats who cannot claw, bite

Since the natural instinct of cats is to claw especially when threatened or scared, in the absence of claws cats are forced to resort to another form of defense – their teeth. Declawed cats that are aggressive naturally are more prone to biting.

Declawed cats have no “nine lives”.

There is a serious risk of death for cats that are declawed. Death could be brought on by the anesthesia they received, or any complications in surgery or hemorrhage.

Declawed cats that resort to biting run the risk of being abandoned by their owners. These cats could then be put in a shelter, and since they turn to biting, the probability of being adopted becomes slim. Usually un-adoptable cats are put to sleep or they are used to train dogs to fight usually as bait.

In summary, cats are extremely and highly trainable to be taught to use a post for scratching instead of common household furniture, rugs or curtains. Though declawing cats is one of the options a cat owner can take, it is basically an unkind and a very animal-unfriendly thing to do. It all depends on the cat owner whether Kitty is more (or less than) valuable than that expensive Italian rug. The choice is theirs.

Cat litters used in the olden days, meaning prior to the commercial cat litters now found in neighborhood grocery stores, are literally litters. Usually these were dirt gathered from gardens.

Now, there are a variety of cat litters to choose from. These cat litters, for the most part, are great for the cat as well as good for the environment.
The following are tips and advice to make better a cat owner’s selection of the best litter possible for their cats.

Choose wisely

The choice of cat litters should primarily be based on how much this litter will affect the environment just as how much such litter is preferred by cats. Although cats really do not care much about how the litter may soon end up in a landfill, cats really prefer if their litter has no bad scent. They also care if the litter feels good.

Cats have a very keen sense of smell, so it is important that litters have little or no scents that are made artificially. It is also best if the litter contains no dust. It will do cats no good if their noses are irritated since they will try to avoid going thru the litter if it displeases them in any way.

Ask wisely

Cats love the feel of sand with pellets or any surface that has shreds and bits of chunks. It is best that a cat owner know which kind his or her cat prefers.

But to further help a confused cat owner decide, questions such as the following should be best asked:

Is the cat litter easily flushed in the toilet? Is it free from odors? Does the litter contain any form of perfumes or chemicals? Is the litter safe for the cat, the owner, the environment? Does the cat like the feel of the litter? How much does it cost and is it easily accessible?

Be aware

There are environment-friendly litters that are made from newspapers that are recycled. These types of litters can be easily flushed, can easily be burned and are almost a hundred percent free from dust.

There are also litters that came from plants. These litters usually come from corn – its husks, the cob and the corn itself. Byproducts of wheat such as wheat grass are also a source of cat litter.

But the best among all of these are the corn cobs because they are odorless as well as it control odor. It is absorbent as well. They also do not produce a lot of dust and are easily flushed.

Litter from pine and sawdust

These types of litter are also biodegradable. They are made by drying and compressing them into pellet-forms. They absorb moisture a number of times more than their weight until they break down again into natural sawdust. Due to their easily absorbent nature, any odor is naturally eliminated.

Be wary though, pine has natural resins and chemicals that aid in the elimination of insects and odor-causing bacteria because of its insecticide-like properties. This same feature could also cause respiratory damage as well as asthma and allergies. Humans as well as cats may easily be susceptible to such allergens.

Do not be afraid of odor

Odor is one way by which nature tells the un-aware cat owner that it is time to replace the litter. Cat litter should be regularly changed so that bacteria or micro-organisms will not collect in it. If odor persists check the diet your cat is consuming as that may also be the cause.

Cats and Clay

Clay is the most common type of litter being used today. A specific kind of clay made of sodium bentonite has a special feature that when it is urinated on by cats a clump is formed making it more convenient to remove the clumps from the litter. However, such
clay is carcinogenic and is easily absorbed by the lungs of cats.

All in all, the choice depends on the cat owner’s preference, budget and favorites. After all, cats are everyone’s best fuzzy, soft, cuddly and gentle meowing friends.