What Not To Do When Adopting a Cat

Deputy Amy Chapman of Cobb County Animal Services had some good advice for what not to do when you adopt a cat: This cat in the picture, Riley, was adopted from Cobb as a kitten. He was then declawed, fed bad food and became very fat. Then he was returned to the shelter. Please don’t declaw your cat. Declawing means removing the tip of the cat’s toe. If a cat is front declawed it will walk on its wrist. As they get older their wrists can develop arthritis, which is painful. It is uncomfortable to cover litter so some will start not using the litter box. As they are in pain they are more likely to bite. Being overweight and declawed causes even more discomfort and arthritis. In a lot of countries front declawing is illegal. Cats generally don’t scratch because they are trying to file their nails down. They scratch because they have scent pads in their paws and like putting scent on their favorite places. The solution is often to give them a scratch pad and to trim their nails. Being overweight and front declawed is a double whammy for cats. Overweight cats are much more susceptible to liver failure, arthritis in joints, back and hips. Fat around their heart can lead to heart attacks.