If a cat wearing Soft Paws gets outside can they still defend themselves at all?

I have posted many posts about my cat Noira ripping through screens and pushing them out to get outside. I was wondering if I tried putting Soft Paws or Claws or whatever they are called on her to see if that stops her from being able to climb the screens, if it doesn't work and she can still get out will she be screwed in the defense department when she gets outside? I am pretty confident to say there aren't stray cats in this immediate area, I watch closely, leave food out and when I see them I trap and rehome them. There are however skunks and racoons. She will occationally bring me a headless bird or a half dead mole and I wonder if Soft Paws will cut back on the number that she brings me?

So I want to try it but if she gets outside I don't want anything to happen to her. I was worried enough that week while she was gone. She almost always sticks right around the back patio and this building I am in.

I rather figured the soft paws would be too limiting for a cat that goes outdoors regularly and promptly dismissed the idea for any of mine. As far as skunks and raccoons, I'd think she wouldn't bother with them.

I have oppossums and raccoons here regularly and the cats just keep their distance and watch them eat or whatever they may be doing.

It would prevent her from climbing trees, fences and the like I believe and would most certainly limit her on bird catches. As far as mice and moles though she may still catch them. I had a front declawed cat that presented me with a mouse gift one day when I came home.

I figured that must have been a real trick for her since she not only was front declawed, she only had one tooth.

However, if the only way she can get out is scale the screen, then the soft claws may be just what you need.

It depends on the cat. But unless we're talking about a predator of substantial size (which a cat couldn't defeat anyway), a cat should be able to get by on teeth and the hissing defense and the ability to sense danger and run away. Plus I once had a small front-declawed cat who used to get outside and get into cat fights... and he won.

Ok, her only way to get out is climbind the screens and pushing on them so I think this wil work. I have stopped intentionally letting her outside, which I only did in the first place bc she climbed the screens.