Everyone has good points.

My extreme beef is that I really, truly believe that because vets will still go ahead and declaw if the owner prods them, people DO NOT honestly try everything. There are dozens of things to try that do not involve modifying the cat -- only modifying the cat's environment -- that people never do. The cat that hung from the ceiling, for instance, sounds like a cat that loves to climb and be up high. I have a strong feeling that if the owners had designed something that the cat could climb safely and 'legally', and kept his nails trimmed short, he would have much preferred to climb on that and perch high above more comfortably, rather than going all that way up and having no where to go except to cling there. Hanging from the ceiling sounds like hard work and cats, especially as they mature, usually like taking the less difficult path.

Just things like that. People aren't encouraged to 'think outside the box, if you will, because they know the vet will go ahead and do it. Buying three different types of posts to encourage the cat to use them is an excellent start, and often enough for many cats, but that is not near to trying everything. And despite the vet offering some discouragement on declawing, the fact that they will go ahead with it speaks much more loudly to their clients, actions do speak louder than words. If the vet does it, it must be okay, really. The sheer number of declaws that are performed daily speaks to that.

I think people don't think enough about what they can change around their home, that can easily be changed back when no longer needed, and think too much about just permanently changing the cat. I guess that while definite effort needs to aimed at the cat teaching it where it's approprite, oftentimes as much effort needs to be aimed at the environment. (And this isn't for every cat, just some.) Wall scratching? If it were a few isolated areas, I would block access to it with furniture. Or make the wall as slick as snot in someway, therefore making it an undesirable scratching surface. To protect the sides of furniture, I know someone who built scratchers to fit up against their furniture that were easily slid away if visitors came over. It's not expensive to do, and not diffcult to do considering lumber places will cut things to your measurements. From there it's just carpet remnants and a staple gun.

I rented for three years with my cats and dogs (the cat population has climbed from 3 to 6 in that time) and just purchased my first home last month. I am fairly young, single, living on my own, and a recent college graduate working my first 'real' job at a non-profit....which basically means I'm making a teensy bit more than I did at my job with the vet during my seven years of part time school . Because this is my first place, I'm starting to appreciate why so many people value their furniture and possesions -- although most of my stuff is the same stuff I had while renting-- so I am beginning to understand that. What small savings I put away is strictly held in reserve for emergency vet care. Replacing ruined item is definitely NOT an option for me monetarily, so I take steps to protect them from damage from the get go.

Anyway, again, I just don't think people really do try everything. Except for the rare completely unstable cat, I think any cat can be worked around...as long as the owner is willing to put the thought and effort into it. Once the changes are made, the majority of the effort is over. The changes made to the home are easily undoable, and often might not even be needed later on as the cat matures or loses interest. I think everything is worth a try if declawing is a viable last resort for some people, and I think the cat deserves it. Granted, I know well that there are plenty of people that don't feel that way and never will. Maybe I should open my own business someday, offering to cat-proof people's homes or to make specific pieces to protect belongings? Somehow I think I would end up giving my services away and never making any money, just to save more kitty claws.

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