Originally posted by: Skoorb
Remove its front claws.
I was reading up on the other thread this morning during a break in my classes, and I disagree completely. Cats require their claws for balance, and scratching tones their back and shoulder muscles. In addition, declawing is
extremely painful for a cat, and if the operation is botched it could lead to nasty infections and regrowing of the claws. The benefits just don't outweigh the way a cat is changed for the worse.
I have a friend who has three cats. He refuses to declaw cats for the reasons I gave above, and it becomes obvious when you see his third cat, Aja. Aja came declawed, and compared to the other two cats with claws her balance is terrible, and she often stumbles when trying to climb up places the other cats could do with ease. Sure, her temperment is just fine but I can't help feeling a bit sorry for her when she tries to climb up something and she can't.