wrote:
The weird thing is that he does USE the litter box. He just seems to
get moody for one reason or another sometimes. I feel like he is
attacking my personal space on purpose. He knows what he is doing is
bad because he runs away afterwards. ??? It just seems like he is
trying to get my attention... ???

I know it can seem like that but I doubt it's the case. He is doing it
because something is making him unhappy. That is my guess. I know others
will chime in.

Yes. A vet recommended it. When I brought him in as a kitten he said
"Oh. A Bengal?" ... "Have you thought of having him declawed?" ...
"Because most people can't handle that breed of cat... and those who do
usually get them declawed to save their furniture and their skin." I
asked about the side effects, like I would ask for myself... and he
said there were no side effects. In fact, he said that his two cats
were declawed... and members of his staff who were cat owners had their
cats declawed as well. I swear... or else I would have never done it.
I feel horrible.

I think you learned something important here. You really *cant* trust
the "professionals"...at least not blindly. Nowadays, with the
availability of the 'net, it is SO easy to research things in advance!!

I'm going to make an appointment at another vet to check out the
kitty paws. I really hope he was not "butchered" or something. I
feel so bad. I hope he is not in pain. Thank you for bringing this to
my attention.

What are the side effects of a bad declaw? ... Or a declaw in general?

Declawing can cause lots of behavior problems. Some declawed cats become
biters. Many have litter box problems. It can cause pain in their paws
and legs...arthritic pain later in life.

By the way, don't believe me just because I say so. I learned most of
that from being on this newsgroup. There are some sites you can check
out like stopdeclaw.com. They are intended to educate people about
declawing since so many people in the US are ignorant. It is somewhat
accepted here, yet illegal and considered inhumane in many countries
world-wide.

In terms of correcting the behavior...you might consider trying some
different types of litter...or even just some shredded newspaper.
Perhaps the type of litter you currently use is irritating his possibly
sore paws. Also, do you have more than one litter box available?
Sometimes they like to pee in one and poop in the other.

Good luck,
Pam