Has anyone who has used soft-claws, got some photos they can share. I am thinking of trying these and just dont get it ! I know you have to ´glue ´them on, but how does that work if you have wriggly moggies to contend with ? :confused: What should they look like when you´ve got them on (correctly) Any hints and tips from ´users moms or dads ´ would also be great :confused: I suppose they come with full instructions, etc, but would like to see a working set !! :lol3:

It takes at least two people to put them on. You could have your vet do it for you.

The lenght of time they stay on is variable, some could come off right away.

A few people that I know that use them really like them though.

Crystal

I've used them on Oliver for over a year now and love them.... I can't really get pictures though because I use the clear ones so you wouldnt be able to see them. You can have a vet or groomer show you the first time if you are worried about getting it right. They're kinda like putting fake nails on humans, you just put a little of the glue in each cap and slide it on the nail. Depending on the cat, you may need more than one person (one to stabilize the cat and one to apply) - Oliver's used to them now and I apply them myself. They're nail will still function normally and the caps will come off as each nail naturally sheds - your kitty will still use scratching posts, etc because of the natural want to do so, he just wont destroy furniture, skin, carpet etc anymore

I use Soft Claws and highly recommend them as an alternative to declawing. They are a learning experience. Whenever I have someone interested in a kitten that mentions declawing, I slap on a set and educate them. Here's a few tips I give my adopters:

1. Don’t get frustrated. It takes practice. Cats are unbearably stubborn and resistant to change. It may take you a week to get on your first set of Soft Claws and that’s okay. I actually never attempt to put on a full set on a new cat in one sitting. Put on one at a time and let him/her get used to the idea.

2. Be prepared for your cat to act as if you have just put it through horrendous torture! After application it’s antics in an attempt to remove the Soft Claws will probably make you laugh. This is only temporary, so don’t despair. Some particularly tricky cats even manage to remove a cap or two. They do stop attempting with repeated application.

3. Glue. I have found that the best super glue to use when applying Soft Claws is NOT the glue provided with the nail caps. I buy 3m Super Glue Gel, which is MUCH STRONGER and helps prevent the caps from falling off or from the cat removing them on their own (see tricky cat reference above).

4. Depending on why you’re applying Soft Claws, you might consider only applying them to the front paws. This allows the caps to last you much longer (4 – 6 months).

5. After you fill the cap with the super glue, take a needle, stick it in the cap and rub the glue around to ensure the whole area is covered. This helps surround the entire inside of the cap with glue, removing air bubbles and helps ensure the caps stay on. (This whole process really doesn't take as long as it sounds!)

6. It helps to have one person hold the cat and one person applying the Soft Claws. The cat needs to be held for about 60 seconds for the glue to dry after applying the cap. If you are attempting this alone, I suggest wrapping the cat in a towel and straddling it between your legs. No, the cat will not be happy.

Kittens are by far the easiest. I hunt them down as they sleep and apply them. Ditto, my youngest Siamese is a terror to put them on, but he almost preens after they're all on. It's hilarious. I use the the clear and colors, whichever I have available.

Here's Ditto with the blue nails that match his eyes.

http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g276/dumbfox78/SushiClaws.jpg

well thanks guys, some real useful info there ! I have 3 cats and I am considering soft claws for Dino. He is now 13 and suddenly decided he´s got claws he can do something with ! Obviously declawing is just NOT a option , makes me ill to think of it ! So these soft claws sound just the thing !! :bigthumb:

Not to highjack this, but in relation to the softclaws, if you have a cat that insists on using your hands as a playtoy, or your feet when you move, would this be an ok thing to do? Boots hurts, and I don't know what else to do, or how to break him of this habit.

Not to highjack this, but in relation to the softclaws, if you have a cat that insists on using your hands as a playtoy, or your feet when you move, would this be an ok thing to do? Boots hurts, and I don't know what else to do, or how to break him of this habit.

Yes, soft claws would be a good option. Ophelia likes to attack my legs, so I put soft claws on her. Now, she doesn't hurt me.

I put the soft paws on Lily by myself. She bites & growls, but I simply tell her to knock it off & give her a treat. She now somewhat tolerates me putting them on her. Ophelia requires two people as she doesn't sit still for long. This is about the only picutre I have in my phototbucket of Lily wearing her soft claws. I ordered 3 different colors-blue, purple, & pink. I alternate them on her claws so she has very pretty toes. :)
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a103/twtich1/Twitch%20and%20Tiger%20Lily/100_3297.jpg

Yes, soft claws would be a good option. Ophelia likes to attack my legs, so I put soft claws on her. Now, she doesn't hurt me.

I put the soft paws on Lily by myself. She bites & growls, but I simply tell her to knock it off & give her a treat. She now somewhat tolerates me putting them on her. Ophelia requires two people as she doesn't sit still for long. This is about the only picutre I have in my phototbucket of Lily wearing her soft claws. I ordered 3 different colors-blue, purple, & pink. I alternate them on her claws so she has very pretty toes. :)
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a103/twtich1/Twitch%20and%20Tiger%20Lily/100_3297.jpg

She does have VERY pretty toes, think these would suit my Princess Pepsi ! can you get them in gold ?
Also thanks for the tips on how to use :bigthumb:

I love the softclaws! Nadra has a habit of pulling up the carpet on our steps if we dont put them on her. It is for sure a two person job though. They seem to last about 2 weeks before they start falling off. I like the colored ones so you can tell right away when one falls off, and also locate it on the floor easier. Plus she looks so cute with her colored pedicure.

Is it wrong to want to get pink Soft Paws/Claws for our kitty purely because they'd look really cute and match her collar??? :love:

I am sure Genevieve would want to be color-coordinated ;)

Time for a stupid question.... can you use them over and over? I know they probably fall off when kittie's nails 'shed' a layer, but once they fall off, given that I am able to find them, would I be able to reuse them?

No, you cant reuse them... I'm always finding Ollie's shed caps and see how it works is, the cap is glued to the outermost layer of nail, so the cap falls off when that layer of nail is shed, but the shed nail is still glued firmly to the inside of the cap

Do you do Ollie's front, or front and back???

I was at Petco yesterday, and found red and green ones, guess it was a xmas type thing, and they were on clearance for 5 dollars, so I couldnt pass it up, red and green are easy to see also...

But I plan on doing all of my 4 cats this weekend...
Just wasnt sure if I should just do the front??

I didn't know that you glued them on, I heard that they fall of really easy, but those were probably ones that you dont glue on. Not sure.

I read in a book that Softclaws leaves the cats nails un-naturally extended (like a dogs) -- that they can't fully retract their nails with the caps on.

I had my 16 week old neutered the other day and they cut his nails for me while he was under. What a difference!! They are really blunt. When he scratches the couch when we are playing I can still "hear" it -- but the couch has no damage. My husband put a fan in the window last night and my curtains (sheers) where blowing -- kitty tried to grab them with his claws and could not even do it. The only thing that may still cause damage is when he scratches at screens (or tries to climb them!).

I am going to try cutting them myself in a couple weeks in an effort to convince my husband that we don't need to declaw him. His previous cat was declawed and every cat we know is so to him there is "no question about it."

Cutting is also a good option. Just be really careful when you do it because a cat's nail has a "quick" just like ours does. When you extend your cats claws out you can see it inside the nail if you look closely. If you cut too close to it, your cat's nails will bleed and you will have a very unhappy kitty.

I used to trim my cat Austin's nails when he lived indoors though and I think I only cut too close once. (One time is enough to make you SUPER careful fromt hen on out.) Good luck!

The cat can still use his nails naturally with the caps on... I can see it when Ollie's playing... usually, he keeps them in (like when he's teasing my poor old lady of a dog, haha - he runs by and bops her on the butt or the snoot and runs on, haha) but my dad likes to wrestle and roughouse with Oliver (like they'll be sitting on the floor and my dad will go like he's gonna grab Ollie's head in his hand... you know, coming in over top of him with his hand and Ollie will jump up and wrap his paws around my dad's arm and play bite him) and you can see that his claws are out, gripping onto my dad (well he has the caps on, but trying to grip).... it eventually turns into bunnykicking, which my dad thinks is hilarious and he can stand it cuz he's got thick daddy skin, haha....

I only cap Oliver's front claws because they were what was causing the furniture and most of the skin damage... the only time the back feet get involved is with play bunnykicking and that's usually provoked by one of us, haha... I know some people have capped the back too and I would if it was needed, but since it isnt on Oliver I don't since I'd feel a little bad that he may not get any satisfaction from scratching any itchies...

HTe claws still retract normally and they can scratch their posts and whatever like normal. Phenom didn't like them at first and walked around like she was trying to shake them off but quickly got used to the. I would highly reccomend them!

my vets office has a resident cat that they use soft-claws on. he doesn't seem bothered one bit by them. and the fact that my vet uses them is endorsement enough for me. they're the absolute best clinic with the best docs. i don't use the soft-claws on my babies though. i find it easier to clip their nails. with 5 cats, i'd be spending most of my waking hours up to my eyeballs in glue and little round things. and the way they squirm when it's toe trimmin' time, i'd end up glued to at least 3 of them!

Hmmm... this web site makes it look a little TOO easy!
http://www.safepetproducts.com/pilot.asp?pg=application

Hahaha, that's the first thing I thought when I saw the package and the cat's just sitting there..... I was just like "HAHAHAHA yeah right!" Ollie's good about the applications, but not that good! I'm convinced the cats in the "how to" pictures are on some kind of drugs to sit that still, hahaa

As requested, here are some pictures of Soft Claws on my cat Avery.

http://www.pbase.com/quaestor/image/61703202/large.jpg
http://www.pbase.com/quaestor/image/61703203/large.jpg
http://www.pbase.com/quaestor/image/64429365/large.jpg

Together with my husband, I find them rather easy to put on and the Soft Claws do a great job of protecting me!

However, my husband has been maimed 3 times on the arms, each from Avery's rear claws even with his front paws covered. After the third (and worst time which included bite wounds) we decided to cover his rear claws too.

Here's a picture of a 'discarded and used' Soft Claw, and our most recent cat attack (it better be the last!). All scratches are from REAR claws. Also note that old scars are still healing behind the new ones!:

http://www.pbase.com/quaestor/image/64429367/large.jpg
http://www.pbase.com/quaestor/image/64429368/large.jpg

omg, why did your cat do that?

I also use soft claws on my LuckyGirl. And while she does hate getting them on, we've never experienced any clawing like the pics below. And I guess I really don't understand how you could even get scratched that bad....I would seperate myself from the cat, I guess. Either way, putting the claws on is a process. I bring her bag of treats, and her basket of toys and sit on the floor. Then we play a little. The I get the clippers ready (you have to clip them a little before gluing on the caps), grab a hold of her, and clip a few nails on 1 paw. Then I let her go. Give her a treat. And play for a few more minutes. Then I grab a hold of her again and do a few other nails. And I repeat this until they are all clipped. Then I glue 1 nail, grab ahold of her and hold it on her claw for 30 seconds or so. Give her a treat, play some more (so she is not licking/chewing trying to get them off), do another nail, hold it for 30 seconds, treat, play some more. And repeat this until all the claws are on. The whole process takes about 2 hours... I like to give her enough time in between to run & play, so it's not so traumatic. But she never hisses or bites even when she's really PO'd... she usually will just growl this sad little "please stop meowmy" growl. I also talk to her while I'm putting them on, in a soothing voice, with familiar words of praise: "your such a good girl, mommy loves you" I think this makes it a little easier on her.

In a few weeks you will notice 1 missing. Then you just clip & pop on a new one. It takes 5 minutes for 1 nail. And then repeat whenever you notice 1 missing. My girl has had hers on since May. I bought a $20 set, that had 4 sets of 10 caps in it, 2 reds & 2 blues. We are now in August, and she still has on her red set, and I have maybe 4 red caps left in the pack, and 2 whole sets of blue caps. So I think that is a long time for them to last. My only complaint, is that the little tops for the nail glue, which act like a funnel to get the glue into the tiny nail cap, is disposable after each use. And when you are putting on 1 at a time, as they fall off, you end up with no more funnels for the glue, and the tip of the super glue is too big to fit inside the little cap. So I've been getting creative, using a drop on a toothpick. But I have ended up with a red nail stuck to me instead of the cat! :lol3:

Wow those scratch wounds are horrible! Good thing your husband loves you and the cat! I don't know your technique for holding while applying, but i'd suggest wrapping the back half of the cat tightly in a big ol blanket, and then have your husband kneel on the floor and hold the cat bewteen his thighs (make sure he's like sitting back on his feet while on his knees and keep his feet close together behind him to prevent the cat from scooting back) and make sure he's got a good tight grip on the cat's scruff, he wont hurt the cat... in this position you can kinda trap the cat and use your body weight to keep him under control while the caps are applied.... I know fosters and smith sells something called the cat bag.... keeps the cat's back half under control but exposes the front paws and head - kinda the same thing as using the blanket (It says you can use it as a pet carrier too, but I wouldn't... seems to weird)

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/Prod_Display.cfm?pcatid=3159&N=2002+2015

I've just been sneaking them on when Anya is asleep. Of course she's still a small enough kitten where I can put them on without trimming her nails first. I'm positive she wouldn't sleep through that. :)

And dcgirl79...those claw marks that your Avery gave your husband are horrible? What HAPPENED??? :shocker:

The soft claws aren't really a problem to put on. We put both the front claws (all 10) at the same time, and all the rear claws (8) at the same time. Towel restraint technique does help, and Avery's quite calm as long as we speak to him softly and keep him distracted while the claws go on.

The scratches on my husband were from a 'crazy night' that Avery was recently having. At 4 a.m. in the morning, our catty was making noise, and my husband went to see what was going on (without his glasses, of course!). After leaving him some food, he was caught by surprise going back to his bedroom by a jump / grab leg / bite attack! My husband responded by verbally scolding Avery (think kneeling and pointing at mr. cat), but Avery for some reason was *very* high strung.

Catty jumped onto my husband's forearm, took a bite out of his upper elbow area, grabbed and held on with his front paws and went to town using his rear claws. When I heard the ruckus and came outside to see what was going on, Avery was still stuck on my husband's arm - my husband didn't know what to do! It was a good 5 seconds of grab / bite / scratch attack.

I grabbed Avery's 'play towel' and shooed him off with a few swipes. Suffice to say, within 10 minutes of this ordeal (after nursing the wounds with antiseptic and Polysporin), we promptly put on his rear claw covers. We understand that he's got some animal instincts, but our little catty can be dangerous when he's in the mood. I think he was overly playful since the 'grab / bite / rear claw scratch' technique looks very similar to how he plays with his toy mice.

I have a question: Can the cats eat the caps once they are shed? I have a problem eater who tries to eat all kinds of plastic, and I fear that she'd just swallow these caps when shed. She doesn't (to my knowledge) eat shed un-capped claws.

i think if she did, it would pass straight thru her, but not sure

WOW, guys :clap: lots of great advice here........although the photos of the scratches were a little freaky :rolleyes: ..........I suppose I will just have to have a go..............get him wrapped up well in a towel, have hubby poised with the pre-glued nails.......then..............well .............see how it goes eh :lol3: :lol3:

WOW, guys :clap: lots of great advice here........although the photos of the scratches were a little freaky :rolleyes: ..........I suppose I will just have to have a go..............get him wrapped up well in a towel, have hubby poised with the pre-glued nails.......then..............well .............see how it goes eh :lol3: :lol3:

Good luck! I actually put on 4 today on Avery as he happened to shake off (with old claw attached) his two thumb covers and 2 front covers. I didn't use a towel, all I did was talk to him and make it quick and easy. Another thing is that I find it makes it more effective if you fill the nail caps up to 80% glue and not just 30% like the instructions suggest. This will mean the caps will last much longer (the 'thumb' nail covers that fell off today have been on for over 2 months!). Also massage the nail cover a bit to make sure the glue is well distributed - just be careful of leaks as you can glue your fingers together!

thanks very much for the tips.............I am feeling a bit nervous about it, cos if he gets upset :hmm: .......well theres no chance of a 2nd go !! :nono: you know how cats can be :lol3:

I'm glad you asked about these since I'd never heard of them before! I just ordered a set off of ebay & hopefully they'll be here within a few days.

I can't wait to try them- they're such a great idea!

We used them on Hope to break a very bad habit! People-climbing! This girl had very sharp claws and would get all the way up my shoulder (via my legs and back) before you could even respond. It was very painful and often would draw blood. So that was it, soft claws she got! We used them for about 4 months I believe and it was enough time to break this painful habit, yay! I would get them at Petsmart or Petco and used the kitten variety and eventually the small adult variety. I had to clip off the ends because they were too large for her little claws. Often the glue wouldn't work and our vet said that happens to them a lot and they will use the nail adhesive you use for applying fake nails. It was one of these bad vials that we got and never got around to getting new adhesive when we realized the habit was broken and no longer needed them.

Retracted:
http://images12.fotki.com/v211/photos/3/356789/2571133/P1010933-vi.jpg

Extended:
http://images12.fotki.com/v213/photos/3/356789/2571133/P1011120-vi.jpg

Can we make this thread a sticky? There's HEAPS of good advice and good photos in here!

well, i put them on mine for the first time this week. Cable moaned while i was putting them on, & licked like anything trying to remove them, but now she hardly notices them. she has hot pink right now. Java wriggled a bit - but she does that during clipping, too. she also complained some, tried to remove them - also pretty much ignoring them now. hers are turquoise. i order a multi-color pack of 40 to start with. next time, i'll get pink for Cable & maybe black for Java - i think that'll look good on her white paws. i haven't decided for sure what color would suit her best. the pink looks good on Cable with her dark coat & matches her collar as well. i'd post pix but i haven't taken any since i put the caps on.

here's Cable with her hot pink soft paws on...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v383/laureen227/Cablesoftpaws.jpg

Retracted:
http://images12.fotki.com/v211/photos/3/356789/2571133/P1010933-vi.jpg


They look great! Are those the grey covers or the clear covers?

I'm thinking of getting Soft Paws for Spike, because I can't break him of the habit of clawing up the carpet and the mattress in our bedroom (this is the only room where he's the least bit destructive, but I don't want a scratching post in there because there's no room and I can't sleep through the noise he makes). I checked out the website (it's included in Hissy's sticky about problem scratching), and there were a couple of questions the website didn't answer for me.

1) Will Spike be at a disadvantage because Oz doesn't need Soft Paws? The two cats play-fight and I don't think they claw each other, and it's not like I'm worried that Oz will mock Spike for his brightly-coloured claws :lol: but since I have no intention of putting Soft Paws on Oz when he doesn't need them, how will this effect their play-fighting?

2) Once I start using Soft Paws, will I always have to use them? I don't think they're intended to be a deterrent or a learning device (not that Spike has the best learning curve to begin with ... :rolleyes: ), but if I use them for a few years and then stop, Spike will go back to shredding the mattress again, won't he?

3) Have there been any negative experiences with Soft Paws (apart from people finding it difficult to put on their cats -- that's not likely to be a problem for us -- or having the sheaths fall off all the time)? Any allergic reactions to the glue? Any damage to the claws or the sheaths?

Thanks in advance -- and I definitely think the mods should turn this into a sticky, because there's lots of useful information in here!

he shouldn't have a problem - i have 2 w/claws, [currently soft-pawed] & 2 without. i've never noticed that the declawed ones have a disadvantage of any kind.

2) Once I start using Soft Paws, will I always have to use them? I don't think they're intended to be a deterrent or a learning device (not that Spike has the best learning curve to begin with ... :rolleyes: ), but if I use them for a few years and then stop, Spike will go back to shredding the mattress again, won't he?

3) Have there been any negative experiences with Soft Paws (apart from people finding it difficult to put on their cats -- that's not likely to be a problem for us -- or having the sheaths fall off all the time)? Any allergic reactions to the glue? Any damage to the claws or the sheaths?


You don't HAVE to always use them, of course. ;) But I think a lot of cats get used to not hurting furniture, people, etc. with them on so don't be surprised if he shreds something once off. For example, I dont' reprimand Anya for stretching on our furniture now since she wears them and I know she's not hurting anything. Should she all of a sudden not wear them she would still stretch and scratch...only with disastrous results. :rolleyes:

And no negative experiences so far. I know I and one other person have noted that the will sometimes get caught in things like fringe or string toys, but hopefully in everyone's kity households these items are supervised toys only. Anya just meows and looks at me to unhook her. :) FYI - When the claws are fully extended, like when they're playing, the upper part of the claw not covered by the soft claw is exposed. It's this area where strings, etc can tangle/get hung.

Hope this helped!

Thanks, Laureen and Emily -- I think maybe we will get Soft Paws for Spikie. :)

Thanks, Laureen and Emily -- I think maybe we will get Soft Paws for Spikie. :)

Let us know how it goes! :)

OUCH! Poor hubby took it like a trooper though!!!!! Thats what I get when Trying to bathe the kits!

As requested, here are some pictures of Soft Claws on my cat Avery.

http://www.pbase.com/quaestor/image/61703202/large.jpg
http://www.pbase.com/quaestor/image/61703203/large.jpg
http://www.pbase.com/quaestor/image/64429365/large.jpg

Together with my husband, I find them rather easy to put on and the Soft Claws do a great job of protecting me!

However, my husband has been maimed 3 times on the arms, each from Avery's rear claws even with his front paws covered. After the third (and worst time which included bite wounds) we decided to cover his rear claws too.

Here's a picture of a 'discarded and used' Soft Claw, and our most recent cat attack (it better be the last!). All scratches are from REAR claws. Also note that old scars are still healing behind the new ones!:

http://www.pbase.com/quaestor/image/64429367/large.jpg
http://www.pbase.com/quaestor/image/64429368/large.jpg

Oh my Goodness - enough to never use this thing!!! :-)

Well we used to use Soft Paws on Morgan (mainly now I just don't have the budget for them).
My only suggestion (as everyone else has given such awesome advice) is make sure to buy the right size. The third time we did Morgan I guess she had just grown out of kitten nails and two were stuck on there for something like 3 months and we could not get them off.
Eventually we got them off but poor Morgan didn't like it that much.
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c146/ZooyNewt/claws2.jpg
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c146/ZooyNewt/Claws.jpg

We used them for the last month and half that we rented and we first had Lola. We were unsure how destructive she would be, and the apartment had berber carpet.:paranoid: She scratches on the right things for the most part, and leaves our stuff and the woodwork alone now. Occasionally we have to reprimand her (sometimes she gets excited and wants to get Mike's speakers). But mostly she's fine.

We stopped using the soft claws because she took such joy in pulling them off. Within 5 days of doing all of her front claws, she might have 3 or 4 still on.:thud: I don't know how she did it, but she really doesn't like to wear them.:rolleyes: Now we just clip her claws once a week. We also have LOTS of scratching posts and forts too. We had most of the scratchers/forts before she adopted us, and our front declawed (by previous owners) cats taught her to scratch on the right stuff.:bigthumb: So we didn't have to do a lot of training.

I've got a question..


I'm planning on getting a sphynx in a year or so and was wondering if putting soft paw on him/her would not be a good idea due to the weekly baths they need? Is there a strong type of glue that would be safe and somewhat waterproof or at least water resistant?

they're basically applied w/superglue - i'd think they'd stand up to a bath!

yes, I figured they would..I just like to make sure about things =P

I'm a bit of a worry-wart lol

I just ordered some (PINK :) ) to use on my Sphynx girl that is coming. I'll let you know how they hold up after I have used them for awhile!!

I just ordered some (PINK :) ) to use on my Sphynx girl that is coming. I'll let you know how they hold up after I have used them for awhile!!

That's adorible! ^-^ Your so lucky! I feel like it's going to be forever before I get my own sphynx kitty! I haven't even found the right breeder yet..*sigh* Who's your breeder, if you don't mind my asking?

and thanks!

I have wanted one for yeeeaaaaarrrssss so I completely understand!
I'll PM you :)

Hi! First post! I found this forum while looking for info on glue that can be used for Soft Claws.

I have two sibling kittens, a girl and a boy, about 9 months old. I've been using Soft Claws with both of them for about 2 and a half months or so. They're great!

The original poster asked if they can be reused. They can... if you can find the old shed ones... I've found more or less half of them.

When the nail sheaths shed and fall off along with the soft claw covers, the sheath will still be glued tightly to the soft claw, which would make it difficult to reuse. But if you soak them in nail polish remover, you can get them clean enough to reuse. (That's why I was looking alternative glues -- I ran out of glue cos I'm reusing them!)

Before soaking them in nail polish remover, it helps to squeeze them to break up the hard glue and any glued on sheath material. Roll them round in your fingers or use a small pliers or tweazer. After doing this, you'll be able to pull out pieces of sheath and glue. It's kind of fun, actually. Then soak them in nail polish for about 20 to 30 minutes.

After soaking, you should be able to use the tweazer to lift out whatever material remains inside or around the rim of the soft claw cover. There's often a build up of gunk around the rim that can also be wiped away after a soaking. I've used nail polish remover with acetone; I don't know if non-acetone remover will work.

After soaking, the soft claw cover will be very soft, more so, I think, than an unused one. But after a while they stiffen up again -- it's possible the polish remover breaks down the plastic slightly. I'm not sure. But I've reused a few paws-worth of covers at least once, and it works great.

I'd like to find a non-toxic glue to use, although what's non-toxic for a human might not be for a much smaller animal.

I put soft claws on all the claws on the front AND rear paws of both cats. They're not crazy about the process of clipping and putting on the covers. But they don't seem to mind at all that they're on. In fact, except for the first moment or so after I apply them, they don't seem to even notice that they're there.

As someone already noted, the coverings don't interfere with their ability to retract or extend their claws, since they cover only the tips, and are nowhere near the joint. My cats still scratch on their scratching posts, and anywhere else they feel like, so it doesn't interfere with their need to scratch.

At first I noticed that they have a little less traction, like when they're running fast in circles (e.g., chasing a toy) but they accommodated themselves to that right away.

I've been handling their paws a few times every day, to get them used to it. And each soft paws session has been easier than the one before. I usually wait until they each need a few replacements and do a bunch at a time. I'm not certain, but I *think* that some of the covers from the first session, nearly three months ago, are still on... some look like they're ready to fall off, but are still holding on. I'm gonna try to keep better track of which ones I replace, just for fun.

I used to keep a collar on one of the kittens so I could tell them apart -- they're nearly identical -- but now I just rely on their differrent colored tosies... and their emerging different personalities! :)

I was skeptical about Soft Claws at first, but became an instant believer. I got them because I like to play with my cats but don't like getting scratched. I wish I had discovered soft claws years ago for my two previous cats. I'd have far fewer scars on my arms and legs!

http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm214/MarahMags/cats-soft-claws.jpg

http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm214/MarahMags/077461be.jpg

I've read thru this whole topic and realized that there's no link for the soft claws... I mean, it's not hard to find, just google soft claws and it's the first link... but for those who prefer not to have to search, here's the link :)

http://www.softclaws.com/

they even have them for dogs!!