has anyone tried softpaws?

I posted a question regarding my kitten under behavior, and thought I'd post here too...have a problem with my cat scratching. I think the softpaws are too big for her now she is only about 6 or 8 weeks old and is very tiny for her age. However, when she is older, I am thinking of using the softpaws that cover the nails but I'm wondering if they really work? How hard are they to apply yourself, or do you have to take them to a professional to apply? Is it something worthwhile or does clipping the nails just as good? I'd like to hear from people who have actually tried them or have heard about people who have used them. Advertisements and stuff online is all well and good but hearing from people who have actually used the stuff is better.

You can apply softpaws yourself, if the cat will allow you to do so. It is easier to get a cat used to you holding their paws when they are young. They do make softpaws in a kitten size, but I'm not sure if they are for kitten as young as yours. If you want to use them when she is older, you might want to start trimming her claws for the present so she can become used to you holding her paws etc.

The people I know who have used softpaws, have had success with them. They seem to prefer the colored ones so it is easier to tell when one comes off and another needs to be applied.

I haven't but i would like to

I just clip my youngest nails at the groomer ... some love softpaws and they work from what I heard ... I am just a bit lazy and since clipping works

Start working with your kitty's feet now, just playing with them and clipping the nails - so he's used to you touching his feet... I use soft paws and I swear by them!! Oliver is definitely a scratcher and the soft paws have saved our relationship and my property and skin! But definitely don't use them until your kitty is old enough... you can definitely apply them yourself if your kitty is comfortable enough with you handling his feet, others do have their groomer or vet apply them.... I am very anti-declawing, so the soft paws are a great option!!! Oliver practically runs to me when he sheds a cap off to have it replaced! I would highly recommend them as a permanent solution to scratching or as an addition to teaching no-scratch behavior (Oliver was already almost 3 when I got him and he's a stubborn one for re-training, so it looks like they're a permanent solution for us)... good luck, and thanks for not immediately declawing!!! (your kitty thanks you too - it's no fun for them at all!)

Buzby, how long do they tend to last on your Oliver? I'm considering them for my cat, but my vet told me some cats can have them off in about a week.

They work great, but don't stay on long enough. Gizmo actually would lay down and chew at her nails until they came off. I replaced them all twice in a period of about 3 weeks, and decided they weren't worth it after that. It's not so bad, she only draws blood once in a while! LOL! I just keep her nails trimmed. She hates that too, but it's quick and overwith, and i don't have to worry about glueing a nail cap to my finger (big fear of mine when handling super glue!)

Amber

we sell a few soft claws to our clients, mostly elderly cats or cats with allergies tp prevent self harm. i myself have had them too and they are good to a certain extent, if your cat gets used to it
The manufacturers state that when first using them your cat is likely to pull them off within a week untill they get used to them and then they can last between 4-6weeks, they never lasted more than 3 on my cats (and you should have seen how they walked at first!)
they are good for indoor kitties but regular nail trimming is just as effective, and remember soft claws should never be applied to a outdoor kitty.

I have seen them advertized....but don`t think my cats would hold still long enough for me to apply them....I figure with all the time it would take me over the years to apply them...plus the cost of them....I`d just rather do a bit of touch up sanding and re-staining/varnishing from time to time.....(our cats don`t actually try to claw much of anything besides the scratching post and the undersides of their own bunk beds....so the damage I may have to repair is only from accidental scratches from when they are raring and tearing through the house)....besides my house is decorated with the "Country-Look".....so a few scratches (and luckily dust also) seems to "GO WITH" the look! :-)

My vet thinks they are a waste of time and money and I agree

I don't think I'd have the money to spend on the Softclaws, even though they sound like a great idea. Is there a way to get your kitten to understand where she is supposed to scratch? She is so small that right now I only have a scratch pad, that is set at an angle kind of like a ramp. But I can't get her to use it. Each time she begins to scratch somewhere else I just pick her up and set her on the ramp. (I never try to move her paws in a scratching motion on there myself, b/c I heard that can scare them and keep them from doing it). I've thought about applying catnip, but didn't know if the was too young? (about 11 weeks)

Hummm....I moved my one kittens paws to show him what it was for and he took right to it(Ours is a scrathcing post with rope all around and up and down it...don`t know if that makes a dif or not)
Our other cat decided that he liked using the wooden underside of their (the cats) bunkbeds better, which was A-OK with me.
Whenever I catch one of them even attampting to scratch anywhere else, which is`nt very often, I promptly say "NO!",pick them up and take them to their perfered spot and move their paws in a scratching motion....and they scratch there. I have not had many problems with this since shortly after adopting them...but I don`t work and so i was able to be very consistant at first.
They are smart...and they do learn.
I don`t know about the catnip..it might work. Sure worth a try!

I'm a softpaws fan! (can't believe I missed this thread)

I've used them on my adult cats with good results.

For the first use, the vet tech put them on one of my cats to show me how, and I did the rest of my cats at home. They were a lifesaver! They stopped my lifelong furniture-shredding cats from damaging my new husband's furniture while I trained them to use appropriate scratching surfaces. Out of the 4 cats I used caps on, only one chewed them off, and with a little patience she got used to them too. I used the caps on my cats until I was confident they would no longer scratch the furniture. Now I don't have to use them anymore - I just trim the claws to keep them blunt.

If your kitten will let you handle her paws, you'll be able to apply them at home. The www.softpaws.com web site has complete instructions & FAQs. If you're nervous about it like I was, you can have a vet or groomer apply them for you to show you how. Your kitty may pull them off at first, but you can solve that by applying a bitter apple spray or cream to the caps, and distracting your kitten with playtime & food until the glue on the caps has dried thoroughly.

I haven't seen them here in NZ but they do sound like a good idea!