de clawing HELPPPPPPPPPP

We were going to de claw both our girls.if you remember us we had all that trouble getting them to meet.well long story short they hate each other and hiss and play fight with each other all the time.no we are got new funiature and you all know.They tried to scratch it.so we covered it up and made a app to de-claw them.I checked the site this morning and it has changed my mind.but I dont know what to do .I like the soft paws idea but I cant see holding my girlfriends cat down.we can barley cut her nails.So please anyone help us what can we do.How can we do this.I dont want to de-claw them but I dont know if we can maintain the soft paws please helpPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP

you've made the right decision not to declaw, i want to congratulate you. A lot of people take the 'easy way out', which is not easy at all, especially for the cat.

I have some questions for you:
- do they have sisal scratching posts?
- did you consider putting up special sticky tape on couches?
- do you regularly have playtime with kitties to release energy?

Talk to your vet. If you decide to use soft claws the vet may be willing to help you apply them for the first time. If you decide to just trim their claws weekly the vet can help you the first time to show you the correct way to do it so you don't hurt the cat. My cat wasn't thrilled the first time I did her claws. Now she just sits on my lap and lets me do it then life goes on as normal.

yes we play every day with them
we had a scratching post but they just walked by it
we jut got the tape for the couch

Not sure if you tried this, but here's some tips...

Make sure the scratching posts are tall enough. If they are too short and kitty can't really get a good stretch, they may not use it. Kitties seem to prefer the sisal too. I don't have this one, but I'm going to buy it soon...
2nd one on the page: http://www.sittingprettykitty.com/ca...hingposts.html

You can try rubbing some catnip on the post to draw them to it.

Get some sisal matts too and place them around the house -- put one on the floor in front of the furniture the kitties keep scratching.
http://www.petco.com/product_info.as...0&dept_id=%2D2

Turbo scratchers are supposed to be excellent too. http://store.worldpetstore.com/blitturscrat.html They use cardboard refill things.

And either get soft paws or keep their claws clipped short. Go to the vet and have her/him help you with doing either the first time -- I'm sure they'll be willing to show you how. I'm choosing to keep Cosmos nails clipped short, though admittedly I haven't had to cut them for the first time yet. I may take a stab at it this weekend (pun intended )

Good luck! Keep us posted...

Is it a particular piece of furniture thats being clawed?. Rosie when she was younger has caught my leather suite a few times, but now what i do if i'm upstairs on the computer where i can't see her, i close the livingroom door just incase.

She tries it now and again when i'm sitting on the sofa but i just distract her because you can tell she's bored and wants some attention.

There is a new product out on the market called Couch Corners. I will see if I can find the website. It will protect your furniture and not be noticeable at all.
There are excellent websites to go to on this issue and as far as your cat's not getting along, they don't sound like they are warring? Have you had to rush them to the vet's for emergency surgeries or stitches from wounds?

Originally Posted by hissy

There is a new product out on the market called Couch Corners. I will see if I can find the website. It will protect your furniture and not be noticeable at all.
?

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Actually, I purchased a set of these and agree that this is a good solution. However, the couch corners are pieces of heavy plastic that you need to pin or tape into place and they are very expensive. What I did is go to a fabric store and purchase several yardds of the plastic sheeting they sell (it is in the upholstery section), then cut it into the necessary sizes to cover the whole length of the sofa back, front and sides and secured them into place by using a staple gun over the areas with a wood support under the fabric and straight pins into the fabric. The plastic extends from the bottom of the sofa up 8 " and can wrap around the corners at the front. It goes up higher on the arms. I was able to customize it to where my cats wanted to claw and it has been incredibly effective - and a lot cheaper than the couch corners product.

I also purchased a number of the cheap corrugated cardboard scratching pads and put those next to the areas where they cats wanted to scratch so they had a ready alternative. While they do have scratching posts in the area they didn't always use them until it was more diffiult to scratch the furniture than the scratching posts. I figured to make it as easy as possible for them to scratch and stretch in the right places rather than in the wrong places and that seems to have worked. Hope this helps.

Kathryn

You can also use bubble wrap. It is temporary and not very pretty, but it startles them out of using the furniture for scratching posts. Or do what we did and go to Salvation Army and buy are really ugly, sturdy chair and make that the designated scratching chair. "Mr. Sofa" upstairs has been severely abused over time- but our other furniture escapes abuse

Also, if you afraid to cut their claws (like i am), you can take them to Petco or Petsmart and have their groomers do it.

I just came back from my cousins house and she used the glad press and seal and stuck it to all the places the cats like to scratch, she said it works great.

My cat has a keen likeness to the sofa and the bed covers. So i bought those soft claws. At first it was a hassle to put them on, but now the cat just sits on my lap and lets me. They seem to be a useful alternative plus they come in an assortment of colours..LOL

Although, i have noticed that he found a welcome mat that he is growing fond of... maybe he will slowly adjust to that, rather than the sofa

If the girls are fighting then I would suggest declawing. It would be safer for the both of them. No one wants an injuried cat!! Have you tried waiting until the cat's sleepy to clip their nails? That may work.

Originally Posted by eburgess

If the girls are fighting then I would suggest declawing. It would be safer for the both of them. No one wants an injuried cat!! Have you tried waiting until the cat's sleepy to clip them? That may work.

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This site is strictly against declawing and deems the procedure unnecessary.

Please see this thread for more information. Declawing Resources Sticky Thread

Declawing most often than not causes other behavioural problems such as biting which can cause more harm than a scratch.

Play fighting is normal. Hissing is by the part normal when one cat has had enough of playing and the other one still wants to play. The same sort of thing occurs in children playing when one child has had enough.

And if it does get to the point of potential bloodshed, drop a heavy blanket on them to startle them from fighting. Then separate the two cats, place both in a time out area for five minutes before allowing the cats to interact.

I just though this website might help.

www.nssvet.org

It is very much against a cats nature to live indoors with humans. As a result they are prone to different health concerns that outdoor cats.
Read all about the indoor cat initiative and ways to make you cat happy living indoors!

Originally Posted by a_loveless_gem

This site is strictly against declawing and deems the procedure unnecessary.
Declawing most often than not causes other behavioural problems such as biting which can cause more harm than a scratch.

Click to expand...

It was just a suggestion. One would think declawing a pair of fighting cats would be cheaper in the long run then having to take one or both to the vet every time they get into it. I say this b/c my boyfriend has 2 cats (mom and daughter), who fight ALL THE TIME!! They got the 2 girls declawed just for that reason (about 8 years ago). They still fight but it is less often and no one gets hurt. the 2 cats do not have behavior problems b/c of the declawing. They have always fought. and it's just a suggeston. We can all agree ther everyone has an opinion on this issue. and if you agree with the opinons or not remeber to be respectful.

IME it is cat bites that cause big vet bills, not cat scratches. Declawed cats can become very adept with their teeth. I don't think de-clawing is the right choice in this situation.

http://community-2.webtv.net/stopdeclaw/declawpics/ Here is picutes of a cat getting delcawed. Then ask yourself how you could do this to something you Love.
Here is another site http://www.declaw.lisaviolet.com/
When I got Hershey I had to sign a Contract saying I could not EVER have him de-clawed if I did. She could take him back.

I have sisal cat posts, cat trees & sisal covered boards all around my house.

I also went to a large fabric store & purchased yards & yards of cream synthatic sheep skin...washed it & cut it to drape over my furniture. I use the pieces as throws. Because they cover the fabric on the furniture, it keeps Dex & Sadie from using my expensive furniture as a scratching posts. I also cut their claws.