Cats use their claws for a variety of reasons, including climbing, scratching, and hunting. It’s wonderful and yes, even necessary in the wild, but can be a burden for cat owners who keep their cats indoors. Outdoor cats often mark their territory by scratching trees or scratch in order to remove worn or frayed layers from their claws, but when inside, cats may replace these trees with your curtains. So just what can you do about it?

A common, but somewhat controversial option is declawing your pet. It is an irreversible surgical procedure performed by a veterinarian while the cat is under anesthesia, and is usually done to the front claws since the back claws are rarely used to scratch. The American Animal Hospital Association is opposed to the declawing of domestic cats unless all other attempts at curbing your cats scratching have failed or when clawing poses a serious risk for people in the household.

After declawing, cats have to be taken special care of. Pain medications are often administered for three to five days after surgery, and owners must try to restrict their cat’s activity, including jumping, for several days. Until healing is complete, the cat must be kept indoors and non-granular litter used.

There are, however, other options available. The most basic is regular nail trimming. This can diminish the destruction caused by your cat’s scratching and is a much less invasive form of treatment. Ask your vet how to do it correctly and so as to minimize the discomfort to your cat, and then perform the trimming routinely.

Finally, you can train your cat to only scratch certain objects, such as scratching posts. Numerous pet behavior books are available to teach you how to correctly train your cat, or you can ask your vet and he can tell you just what you need to know.