I hope all these tips works. I know firsthand about issues you may have with declawing your cats. Yes all of mine are declawed. Would I ever do it again knowing what I know now? NO!

My roommate was allergic at the time so my parents took in Shadow and Whisper (no Callie yet). She refused to take them unless they were declawed and I could find no one else to foster them for 8 months. They were over a year old. I have never noticed behavioral changes necessarily associated with the declaw but Whisper attacks Shadow at least daily (not to the severity he did in Alabama-now he just chases her and we yell at him). He never did any of that when he lived in his old home (pre-declaw).

Callie definitely changed after the declaw. In my own ignorance, I had her declawed at about six/seven months of age. A kitty who was originally my "love bug" turned into a "pet me only once a day" kitty. She was never quite the same behaviorally after the declaw. Doesn't like her front feet touched.

I will never know if it causes them pain to walk on their feet. We don't have the urinary issues you may encounter if you declaw; as some cats will start spraying. It is just a horrible, horrible procedure and if I was a vet, I would never do the surgery. It's just $$$ to them and then we, the owners, have to deal with the consequences.

Don't think I am chastizing you in anyway. I know you love Barclay and that is evident in your attempt to find alternatives. ((HUGS)) and I hope everything works out.