We have a very cute, very energetic four-month-old named Loki, but he's sometimes a little too enthusiastic when he plays. As a matter of fact, a little while ago, he scratched my mom in the eye (it was nothing serious, only a bruise, she was fine). Unfortunately, my mom now wants to get him declawed. Being the animal lover I am, I'm morally opposed to declawing, and I'm trying to get her to consider SoftClaws (or SoftPaws, whatever you call them, I'm pretty sure they're the same product). However, she thinks that declawing is still the best choice, because she's under the impression that SoftClaws are still hard and pointy and will do just as much damage to a human eye as an actual claw. I've also told her all the usual arguments against declawing, but she doesn't care, she's worried about getting scratched in the eye again. I need advice on how to convince her to try SoftClaws, preferably from people who actually use them on their cats. Thanks in advance.
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Need help convincing mom not to declaw
- Thread starter alt0dos
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Tell her to stop holding the kitten so close to her face for one.
Not a good idea for anyone to do that.
Seriously, neutering him will go a long way towards calming him down. You can get him used to clipping his nails to help blunt them. Soft Paws are just that, soft, they are not hard or brittle they are soft and pliable.
Seriously, neutering him will go a long way towards calming him down. You can get him used to clipping his nails to help blunt them. Soft Paws are just that, soft, they are not hard or brittle they are soft and pliable.
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- #3
Mom doesn't really hold Loki close to her face, he's just very playful and goes for whatever's moving...Originally Posted by hissy
Tell her to stop holding the kitten so close to her face for one.Not a good idea for anyone to do that.
Seriously, neutering him will go a long way towards calming him down. You can get him used to clipping his nails to help blunt them. Soft Paws are just that, soft, they are not hard or brittle they are soft and pliable.
I'm posting this in various cat sites, and I'm going to take the responses and put them in an email for my mom, so thanks for responding, I'll be putting this message in there.
if youd like i can send you a spare nail cap i have-- PM me with your mailing address and ill put one in the mail for you so your mom can see what they look like and feel like--
We use softclaws with Peanut Butter all the time.
We use softclaws with Peanut Butter all the time.
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- #5
Thank you so much for offering, but my mom would kill me if I gave my mailing address out online. You know, what with all the vicious sexual predators lurking on cat forums.
On a completely unrelated note, your cat's name is making me hungry.
Haha, Oliver punches me in the face all the time with his soft paws on!! (he sleeps next to my head on my pillow) It doesn't hurt at all! I, like you, am HIGHLY opposed to declawing (I've worked in both a shelter and vet and assisted on one too many a declaw surgery - and YES it is VERY painful for them to go through... tell her to think how she'd feel if the top half of all her finger were amputated!)
Back to my story of soft paws though... Oliver is defintiely a scratcher - he lived with my parents for awhile and nearly destroyed my bedroom door, closet door and dressers - that didn't fly with my mom. She knows I'm against declawing, so she was very patient about it. The Soft Paws have saved mine and Oliver's relationship!! He loves to play rough, being a typical little boy, so mine and my father's skin was torn to shreds (not that I really minded, but it doesnt look so nice!) Now my skin, furniture, doors, etc are all safe! Oliver still scratches on his post for exercise, but doesn't do any damage. Now, I only cap his front paws because the only time he even gets close to getting me with his back ones is if we get really rough playing and he starts to bunny kick my arm - I don't see why you couldnt cap all four feet though (this IS a strictly indoor cat, right?!) Each package comes with 40 caps and 2 tubes of glue - you can get the caps in different colors or in clear... you will have to be comfortable with clipping your kitty's nails and handling his feet - you can usually get a groomer or vet tech to show you how to apply them the first time, so you know what youre doing (although there are great directions on the package)... I still have some left in the pack I bought in mid-April. You can find them in petco and petsmart, but i've seen them even cheaper on ebay (if youre allowed to order stuff online).
Oliver can swat and punch at me all he wants and all I get is a soft, rounded plastic cap on my skin - not pointy at all! The caps will fall off individually as the cat naturally sheds his nails - I usually do a once-over on his paws once a day just to make sure he hasn't shed any - when they do, you just replace them as they fall off.
If your mom still wants to actually see them, your vet may have some to show or if we know what general area of what state you live in, someone near there who uses these could meet you and your mom in a public place somewhere and show you guys first hand.
Good luck and please let us know - do all you can to keep your kitty in tact!
Back to my story of soft paws though... Oliver is defintiely a scratcher - he lived with my parents for awhile and nearly destroyed my bedroom door, closet door and dressers - that didn't fly with my mom. She knows I'm against declawing, so she was very patient about it. The Soft Paws have saved mine and Oliver's relationship!! He loves to play rough, being a typical little boy, so mine and my father's skin was torn to shreds (not that I really minded, but it doesnt look so nice!) Now my skin, furniture, doors, etc are all safe! Oliver still scratches on his post for exercise, but doesn't do any damage. Now, I only cap his front paws because the only time he even gets close to getting me with his back ones is if we get really rough playing and he starts to bunny kick my arm - I don't see why you couldnt cap all four feet though (this IS a strictly indoor cat, right?!) Each package comes with 40 caps and 2 tubes of glue - you can get the caps in different colors or in clear... you will have to be comfortable with clipping your kitty's nails and handling his feet - you can usually get a groomer or vet tech to show you how to apply them the first time, so you know what youre doing (although there are great directions on the package)... I still have some left in the pack I bought in mid-April. You can find them in petco and petsmart, but i've seen them even cheaper on ebay (if youre allowed to order stuff online).
Oliver can swat and punch at me all he wants and all I get is a soft, rounded plastic cap on my skin - not pointy at all! The caps will fall off individually as the cat naturally sheds his nails - I usually do a once-over on his paws once a day just to make sure he hasn't shed any - when they do, you just replace them as they fall off.
If your mom still wants to actually see them, your vet may have some to show or if we know what general area of what state you live in, someone near there who uses these could meet you and your mom in a public place somewhere and show you guys first hand.
Good luck and please let us know - do all you can to keep your kitty in tact!
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- #7
Thanks, that was really helpful.
With any luck, we'll be able to save my poor kitty's toes.
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- #9
Bad news - my mom talked to the vet, and he told her that Soft Claws apparently causes infections. Can anybody tell me if you've ever had problems with that?
I used Soft claws on Paige while she had some...innappropriate scratching issues. on all four paws. And there was never an issue.
I can imagine however, if one were to force the wrong sized cap on a claw, it might cause damage, but personally, and I hate saying this- I think the vet just wanted the money from the declaw.
www.soft-claws.com has close ups of the nail caps and the kitties wearing them, and the person that invented them is a Vet herself.
If you would like I will take a macro shot of a couple of them for you to see how they are shaped.
Directly from the faq.
12) Can cats get infections from these like humans can get from acrylic nails?
No. Cat's claws are completely different from human nails. Cats shed the outer sheaths of their claws periodically. You have probably seen this around their scratching post (or couch). The same happens when they are wearing Soft Claws. The nail cap comes off with the normal shedding of the outer nail sheath. This prevents the possibility of infection
I can imagine however, if one were to force the wrong sized cap on a claw, it might cause damage, but personally, and I hate saying this- I think the vet just wanted the money from the declaw.
www.soft-claws.com has close ups of the nail caps and the kitties wearing them, and the person that invented them is a Vet herself.
If you would like I will take a macro shot of a couple of them for you to see how they are shaped.
Directly from the faq.
12) Can cats get infections from these like humans can get from acrylic nails?
No. Cat's claws are completely different from human nails. Cats shed the outer sheaths of their claws periodically. You have probably seen this around their scratching post (or couch). The same happens when they are wearing Soft Claws. The nail cap comes off with the normal shedding of the outer nail sheath. This prevents the possibility of infection
granted i havent been using them but for a couple of months but PB hasnt had any problems with them at all-- no infections or anything-- i honestly dont see how a cat could get an infection from wearing softpaws unless the person who clipped their claws quicked the cat and then placed the cap on there--
i dont know about that vet-- sounds fishy to me-- maybe that vet doesnt know what hes talking about--
good luck!
as far as the question you asked previously about possible eye damage-- it might leave a bruise but it definatly would not be able to break the skin or tissue-- these things are SOFT -- they are very "cushiony"
Example: i have a chinese crested hairless dog who is a true hairless and she scratches very very easily-- PB loves to pounce on top of her while shes walking thru the house. This used to leave horrific marks on her skin that required ointment and all-- she used to scream bloody murder when he'd do that-- now she shakes him off and has NO scratches at all--
Another thing-- PB kneads my hair at nite when we go to bed-- i had to do Softpaws because he was leaving scratcheson my scalp. Now i dont even feel the softpaws as he is kneading.
I really hope you can convince your mom not to declaw your kitty.
I understand your moms rationale on the address thing-- but my offer is still open. lol i just changed out 5 of them last nite that had sloughed off.
Amity
i dont know about that vet-- sounds fishy to me-- maybe that vet doesnt know what hes talking about--
good luck!
as far as the question you asked previously about possible eye damage-- it might leave a bruise but it definatly would not be able to break the skin or tissue-- these things are SOFT -- they are very "cushiony"
Example: i have a chinese crested hairless dog who is a true hairless and she scratches very very easily-- PB loves to pounce on top of her while shes walking thru the house. This used to leave horrific marks on her skin that required ointment and all-- she used to scream bloody murder when he'd do that-- now she shakes him off and has NO scratches at all--
Another thing-- PB kneads my hair at nite when we go to bed-- i had to do Softpaws because he was leaving scratcheson my scalp. Now i dont even feel the softpaws as he is kneading.
I really hope you can convince your mom not to declaw your kitty.
I understand your moms rationale on the address thing-- but my offer is still open. lol i just changed out 5 of them last nite that had sloughed off.
Amity
Please check out this , a wonderful source of information regarding declawing.
I would have to guess that there have been more infections following surgical removal of a cats fingertips, than from gluing a little piece of rubber to a claw.
Best of luck with Loki. I just talked to Rusty's new Mom, he is running her ragged, too. Just a trait of 3-4 month old boys, I think! I know I was real happy when Garfield started to settle down as he grew up!
Best of luck with Loki. I just talked to Rusty's new Mom, he is running her ragged, too. Just a trait of 3-4 month old boys, I think! I know I was real happy when Garfield started to settle down as he grew up!
Oliver has not had any problems... I unfortunately have to agree with the fact that the vet may have been thinking about money ( we have several vets at the hospital at home where my animals go - I've worked there and learned the one is very money-hungry, therefore we request certain doctors when making appointments)... I would suggest asking several different vets and/or groomers what they think (it shouldnt require an appointment, probably just a phone call)... DEFINITELY get a second opinion though. If the caps are used/applied correctly, you will have no problems... it's quite obvious to see that the caps are fitting and applied correctly.
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You might suggest that your mother take a look at the site www.declawing.com. It's a site written by a veterinarian that provides a lot of information about the declawing process itself, as well as information about how to prevent/treat cat scratching problems.
Soft Paws were developed by a vet, with cats' health and owner comfort in mind. I've used them on my adult cats with scratching problems & they worked wonderfully.
The vet clinic I used to work in applied the caps & sold kits, and never had any problems reported other than the occasional cat that would pull off the caps - that can be dealt with by applying something like bitter apple to the caps and distracting the cat from chewing on them while the glue dries. The caps are very useful for people who have thin, easily torn skin - we sold a lot of them for both dogs & cats belonging to elderly people.
If you're nervous about applying them yourself at home, there are many vets or groomers who can do it for you. I had my vet's office (the tech, actually) apply them for me the first time on one of my cats to show me how it was done, and then I applied them on the other cats at home.
With training, many cats can learn not to scratch, so eventually it may be possible to discontinue using the soft paws, and just keep trimming the cat's nails to blunt the tips.
Soft Paws were developed by a vet, with cats' health and owner comfort in mind. I've used them on my adult cats with scratching problems & they worked wonderfully.
The vet clinic I used to work in applied the caps & sold kits, and never had any problems reported other than the occasional cat that would pull off the caps - that can be dealt with by applying something like bitter apple to the caps and distracting the cat from chewing on them while the glue dries. The caps are very useful for people who have thin, easily torn skin - we sold a lot of them for both dogs & cats belonging to elderly people.
If you're nervous about applying them yourself at home, there are many vets or groomers who can do it for you. I had my vet's office (the tech, actually) apply them for me the first time on one of my cats to show me how it was done, and then I applied them on the other cats at home.
With training, many cats can learn not to scratch, so eventually it may be possible to discontinue using the soft paws, and just keep trimming the cat's nails to blunt the tips.
I've been using Soft Paws for years, basically ever since they came out.
I have not had a single problem.
Declawed cats, however, suffer terrible pain, are forced to learn a new way to walk, since they can't walk on their toes anymore, often develope early onset arthritis, get infections, develope behavioral problems such as peeing everywhere but the litterbox, and they tend to start biting.
I have not had a single problem.
Declawed cats, however, suffer terrible pain, are forced to learn a new way to walk, since they can't walk on their toes anymore, often develope early onset arthritis, get infections, develope behavioral problems such as peeing everywhere but the litterbox, and they tend to start biting.
Quick notation...it's actually www.softclaws.com. I looked it up with the dash in it, and got another site.Originally Posted by turtlecat
I used Soft claws on Paige while she had some...innappropriate scratching issues. on all four paws. And there was never an issue.
I can imagine however, if one were to force the wrong sized cap on a claw, it might cause damage, but personally, and I hate saying this- I think the vet just wanted the money from the declaw.
www.soft-claws.com has close ups of the nail caps and the kitties wearing them, and the person that invented them is a Vet herself.
If you would like I will take a macro shot of a couple of them for you to see how they are shaped.
Directly from the faq.
12) Can cats get infections from these like humans can get from acrylic nails?
No. Cat's claws are completely different from human nails. Cats shed the outer sheaths of their claws periodically. You have probably seen this around their scratching post (or couch). The same happens when they are wearing Soft Claws. The nail cap comes off with the normal shedding of the outer nail sheath. This prevents the possibility of infection
Yes, these postings are true...you may even want to show your mom these.
I had the choice of declawing Luna. The more I read the less I wanted to do it. Basically ask your mom how she would like it if she had her nails removed. Cats are more likely to get infected paws from declawing than the soft claws. Plus I don't know how old your cat is, but the longer you wait... the longer it'll take him to recover and the risk for infection increases.
Even though Luna has popped me a couple in the eye, I haven't switched to soft claws yet. But they're really not much different than fake nails from what I read. The only way I see a possible infection is if you totally screw up putting them on (i.e. sticking them in her eyes instead of on her nails).
You may want to either sneak some on your cat while your mom isn't looking or tell her you want a second opinion from another vet. Most vets I know of will give you the option of declawing, but they don't enforce it.
I had the choice of declawing Luna. The more I read the less I wanted to do it. Basically ask your mom how she would like it if she had her nails removed. Cats are more likely to get infected paws from declawing than the soft claws. Plus I don't know how old your cat is, but the longer you wait... the longer it'll take him to recover and the risk for infection increases.
Even though Luna has popped me a couple in the eye, I haven't switched to soft claws yet. But they're really not much different than fake nails from what I read. The only way I see a possible infection is if you totally screw up putting them on (i.e. sticking them in her eyes instead of on her nails).
You may want to either sneak some on your cat while your mom isn't looking or tell her you want a second opinion from another vet. Most vets I know of will give you the option of declawing, but they don't enforce it.
I just clip my cat's nails every two weeks with a special pet clipper.. it sure works, and avoids the poor cat to go through a big operation like that.
