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Outdoor House For Cats
There is a trend occurring in some areas of the United States of America with some cat owners declawing their cats. However if you have outdoor houses for your cats then if they ever find themselves in dangerous or threatening situations, their ability to defend themselves (and of course to hunt for food) becomes much more limited if they have been declawed. To account for this factor some owners will have only the cats' front claws removed, so that the back claws remain available for defense. Many people still feel that declawing cats is both cruel and entirely unnecessary. In fact the Humane  Society of the U.S. completely opposes declawing “when done solely for the convenience of the owner and without benefit to the animal.” Claws and front paws are very important tools for cats. The front claws are as important for cats as fingers are for humans. Not only do cats use their front claws for climbing and defense but also for catching prey. If you were to compare the process of declawing to human anatomy, declawing is the amputation of the affected fingers and toes past the last knuckle. In addition to being less able to defend itself, the declawed cat frequently experiences trouble walking. And since it can’t climb without its claws your cat can also suffer from muscle problems. Declawing cats is actually illegal in many countries. If the cat's claws are causeing too much trouble, you can glue special nail caps known as “SoftPaws” onto the cat's claws. These will also hinder the cat's ability to defend itself, but are much safer for cats who live in an outdoor house as they are not permanent and will fall off after a few weeks (along with the outer sheath of the claws).
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