Are you excited about finally being able to adopt a cat or kitten, only to find out your new landlord requires declawing? You’ve done your research and know that declawing is a serious surgery with life-long implications for your feline’s behavior and health, and you don’t want to do that to your new friend.
You can try to find a cat that has already been declawed, as they do come in to Angel’s Wish from time-to-time. Or, you can choose to talk to your landlord. We’ve had many adopters be successful in convincing their landlords to change the rules.
Here are some tips to cover with your landlord from softpaws.com:
- Explain to your landlord what a declaw surgery is. Many people have no idea that declawing is an amputation surgery of all of the toes up to the first joint. It’s painful and can have lifelong effects on a cat. Not only are the claws removed, but nerves, tendons, blood vessels, and bone are severed. The cat then has to walk on these amputation sites. Several US cities and many countries have banned declawing as inhumane.
- Let your landlord know about Soft Paws®. Your landlord may not know about Soft Paws® and how well they can work to deter cat scratching damage. Show the product to your landlord and explain how they cover your cat’s claws, minimizing any damage that may occur to the home.
- Share that declawing can result in other behavior problems. Declawing cats can lead to more undesirable behaviors in cats including litter box aversion. Cats that are declawed may begin to avoid the litter box because it hurts their toes so much to scratch around in the box soon after surgery. The aversion can then become permanent and result in urine damage to the carpets and floors in the home. Declawed cats also have an increased tendency to bite because they feel insecure. This could be a liability for you and your landlord.
- Offer to host a meeting. Allow your new landlord the chance to meet your cat (assuming she is well-behaved and friendly with strangers). Show your landlord the Soft Paws® and explain how they work.
- Share information about cats’ claws with your landlord. Many people don’t really know the basics about cats’ claws and how they grow. Share information with your landlord. This is a good basic article to print and share: “Fascinating Facts About Cats’ Claws.” You can also contact us for Soft Paws® and declawing brochures.
- Discuss that many major organizations do not support declawing. The Humane Society of the United States and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals do not support declawing cats. Many people aren’t aware that declawing is not a universally accepted procedure and, in fact, is opposed by many prominent organizations and people.
- Be honest. Whatever you do, be honest with your landlord. Don’t tell him or her that you don’t have a cat if you do, and don’t say she’s declawed if she’s not. You don’t want to end up in trouble when your dishonesty if revealed and lose the recommendation of the landlord for your next cat-friendly rental.
For more tips and tricks, read the whole article at: http://www.softpaws.com/cat-scratching-declawing-and-rentals-how-to-talk-with-your-landlord-about-declawing