A-Z Challenge C Noah's Cats

 Conservation -- I would think that everyone who knows wildcats would agree or concede that the most important cat fact is conservation. The wild cats are under threat from human expansion that results in greatly increased commercial activity that destroys wildcat habitat and drives poaching.
The Bengal tiger is being decimated by both and particularly the latter for its body parts. The Siberian tiger may have a population of 400-500  but its population in terms of breeding ability (and therefore survivability) is the equivalent of 14 individuals. When a population of wild animals reaches a threshold its days of survival in the wild are numbered.
The Iberian Lynx may well be the first wildcat since the saber tooth tiger to go extinct in the wild some 10,000 years ago. Its population is incredible low at about 250 individuals. Their survival is jeopardised by human hunting directly and indirectly.
 Cat Care taking -- The fact that many cat "owners" fail to ensure that their cats are neutered, a regrettably necessity in the modern world, causes untold misery to the domestic cat population and leads indirectly to the mass slaughter of unwanted and abandoned cats that sometimes become feral cats.
So, although there are many wonderful caretakers there are still too many irresponsible cat owners. Within the actions of irresponsible cat owners I include the declawing of cats. One thought comes to mind in respect of this procedure: a lack of respect for the cat and an arrogant attitude by humankind. Expectation management concerning cat care taking cures almost all known cat behavior problems. What do I mean? Please read this.
 No more new breeds -- There are over 100 cat breeds. Many are on the fringes. There are incidentally more dog breeds. I would say with some confidence that saturation level has been reached with respect to the number of cat breeds. Why? It is no longer possible to create a breed that is healthy and which can be sufficiently distinguished from an existing breed. Everything has a beginning, middle and end. This is the end of the expansion in cat breed numbers.
One consequence that comes to mind is that people who have thought about declawing their cat but resisted and bought a cat scratching post instead might then decide to have their cat declawed thinking that it is impossible to get their cat to scratch in the right place.

I hope people who have decided against declawing try again and purchase a large scratching post and put it where cats might mark territory as if they were wild cats. These places are normally in prominent locations within the cat's home range. An example might be near the back door if the cat is allowed to go out. When my cat goes outside he scratches trees. These are solid objects that don't move. Of course cats also scratch horizontally but in this post I am referring to the classic scratching post.

My opinion is that:
a large scratching post that replicates to a certain extent a tree placed in a prominent location that would be the cat's boundary of his or her home range or on a "trail" and to start the process of encouraging to scratch a scratching post while the cat is a kitten...will result in success. Or at least there will be a good chance of success if these three guidelines are put into place. Patience, gentle encouragement and the judicious use of catnip will also help.
There are a number good alternatives to declawing:

1) Scratching posts/pads DO work!
 Cats need a variety of angles of scratching pads: vertical as well as horizontal and positions in between. A friend of mine has attached carpeting along the inside of a doorway for his large cats. I constructed a tent shaped scratching post out of 3 pieces of wood and 2 hinges and a latch-hook (so that I can fold it up and transport it) with the carpeting on the two outside surfaces of the inverted V and along the base inside the V. There are a myriad of types of the horizontal scratching pads or you can make your own. My 3 cats use all three types.
You can encourage cats to start using one by rubbing catnip into the surface.
There are also a variety of materials: sisal, carpeting (many kinds), corrugated cardboard. Your cat might like one kind but not another just as they can be fussy about the litter you use in their cat box.

2) Another alternative to declawing is "Soft Paws" and "Kitty Caps" available at vets offices and pet supply stores. These are small caps that are put on the shortened claws. I have never used them but I have heard from people how have done so very successfully.

3) If you really want a declawed cat, go to your local animal refuge league or animal rescue and tell them that you would like to adopt a cat that has already been declawed. Where I volunteer, we will not adopt out a clawed cat to anyone who even THINKS they will declaw their cat. We get declawed cats at our ARL (frequently because their behavior has become aggressive or antisocial after declawing) and match them up with people who want/or plan to have their cat declawed. We will not adopt out a clawed cat to anyone who even THINKS they will declaw their cat and to all other adopters we offer to take back a cat who they think may need to be declawed after they take him/her home.