Soft Claws/Paws Pros and Cons? Looking for advice.

[catlikethief]

Hello, TCS forums!

I'm not new to cat ownership, but I am new to these forums and I'm looking for advice. Here's my situation: I'm a 21-year-old college student living with my parents and I recently adopted a kitten (Nova, she's in my avatar) and she'll be 12 weeks old this Saturday. My family has two other cats, a 6-year-old male (JR) and a ~16-year-old female (Colby). JR is partially declawed (he has his back claws only) and Colby is fully declawed. It's just how our family has always been with cats- They go in to get spayed/neutered and get declawed at the same time. My mother was a vet tech for many years so I love her insight on animal health, but this is one thing we just cannot agree on. I do not want to get my baby declawed; it's expensive, unnecessary, and completely unfair to her. I told her about Soft Claws and while she's very skeptical of the idea, we agreed it was a good compromise if they work.

I got my Soft Claws in the mail yesterday and did a test run. Nova was very good about it and just slept on my lap the whole time. I came home from class today and she had about half of them off and scattered throughout the house. So I replaced most of the ones that had fallen off (I left her dewclaws alone because they were being tricky) and she seems to be doing better with this set. They don't seem to bother her at all and they were fairly easy to put on. I'm just worried that if they keep falling off, my family will think this whole project is a failure and push declawing even more. She has a scratching post that she's really good about using and I only occasionally see her trying to claw one of the rugs (which could easily be remedied with a flat scratch pad). Her only big issues are climbing the furniture (only because she's too small to jump that high) and attempting to climb the curtains (which she's mostly stopped). The former won't be an issue as she grows because she won't need to do it anymore and I plan to get her a cat tree in the future when I have a bit more money so she can satisfy her urge to be up high... But my family still thinks she'll be an issue.

What are your experiences with Soft Claws/Paws? Are they worth trying to use or is scratch pad training way better/easier? My only other concern is that I'm planning to move into an apartment next year and those few landlords who allow pets don't generally allow cats that aren't declawed. Does anyone have experience with them allowing cats that use Soft Claws?

Thank you all in advance!

 

[catlikethief]

She just got one of her claws stuck in the tail of her Kong Kickeroo. :\ She freaked out and wouldn't hold still long enough for me to try to cut the string, but the nail cap popped off so she's fine now. This has me kind of worried because I often leave that toy with her when I go to work as it's one of her favorites. I don't want her to get hurt but my options to keep her from being forced into being declawed are pretty limited. Anyone else have this issue with the Soft Claws?

Sorry for the double post. Just kind of worried and I can't edit the OP.

 

[Willowy]

Are they the right size? Kinda sounds like they're too big. Sizing can be tricky for kittens. Aand did you use enough glue?

I have to say that I find frequent claw trimming (twice a week for kittens) to be just as effective as Soft Claws, though if you're trying to convince other people it's nice to have something concrete (or rubber :tongue2 to show them.

The main point of Soft Claws is to minimize damage WHILE you train the cat to use an appropriate scratching surface. So it's not either-or . She should outgrow the super naughty kitten stage and if you've taught her to use her own scratchies she shouldn't need the Soft Claws forever.

I doubt you'll even convince your family, but stand firm! Have you read through all this info?: http://www.thecatsite.com/t/155451/declawing-resources Could give you some ammo for your decision.

 

[catlikethief]

I ordered the kitten size and tried one on her yesterday before putting any glue in them. It seemed to fit, but maybe they are still too big. The length seems to be fine but maybe the height is too big? I also made the mistake of starting out with the colored ones so it's a bit difficult to tell how much glue is in them and I don't want to over due it. They keep falling off, though, so maybe it's just one of those trial-and-error things. I really only want to have to use these things until I can get my own place and don't have to worry about other people trying to push me to get her declawed.

I did check out the resources even though I know how the process works (vet med student turned nursing student; similar fields, different species ;D). And the sad thing is, I know my mom knows how the process works and it was even more horrific back when she was a vet tech (I think the laser surgeries are a relatively new thing and I imagine the nail clipper method was the only thing they had back in the 90s) and she's still pushing me. It's not forceful pushing, but she does make comments about it every so often in an "I'm right, you're wrong. These things don't work" sort of way.

 

[missymotus]

Soft paws are not readily available here, and declawing is illegal - cats just have claws

Providing appropriate scratching poles/cat trees ensures the furniture isn't scratched on, and keeping the claws clipped helps too

Good luck convincing your family that not being declawed is the best choice for your kitten

 

[nerdrock]

I used Soft Claws on my kitten, although he hasn't had them on for a few weeks because he shed them and I haven't replaced them yet. 

1. It sounds like right now they are too big/you're not putting enough glue in them. 

2. While I was first putting them on my kitten (now about 6 months), he lost them frequently. It's really a shame that they don't put more of the applicators in the package, especially the kitten one. I would put them on him, with enough glue, and cuddle with him for about 10 minutes once they were all on. I did see him chewing them fairly often, so I think that had a lot to do with him losing so many during our first couple of sets. Even now, he'll still get one or two off within a few days of applying them. Unless he's missing a lot of them I don't bother replacing. 

3. My kitten also got stuck on things as they were growing out. I found it to be pretty dangerous so tried to keep anything with strings/loops/material that he could get caught on out of his reach, especially when we weren't home. This included quite a few of the cats' toys as well. 

I have found that he scratches on inappropriate things/places a lot less but he still has his moments. He's a very stubborn and insistent boy so I think we'll probably use them until he's over a year. 

They have them for dogs too, maybe a different company, but I've been thinking of getting them for my dogs. I just have to see if they're allowed at shows. One of my dogs likes to chew his and the other dog's nails. It's handy, I don't really have to trim their nails because of it, but it makes them look horrible. I'm also a bit concerned if where we move next has hardwood floors, we're looking at older homes that have original floors, so I thought they might help from keeping them scratch the floor too. It would just be a pain if I couldn't have them for shows and they weren't easy to get off. 

 

[catlikethief]

Maybe I'll try replacing the missing ones again tomorrow and see if it's a glue issue. So far, most of them seem to be staying on pretty well tonight but we'll see how that goes by tomorrow. She generally licks/chews them a bit when I first put them on, but then she leaves them alone after that. And I guess I'll just have to keep some of her toys out of reach unless she can play with them under supervision. She's done really well so far with sticking to scratching her post and I do plan on getting her some other types of scratchers in the future and I'm confident she'll do just as well with those. It's just getting my parents to see that she isn't going to turn into some destructive kitty maniac that seems to be the problem.

The same company that makes the nail caps for cats makes them for dogs too. You can actually buy the Soft Claws for dogs on the Soft Claws website. I've heard of a number of people who use them to keep their dogs from scratching up hardwood floors.

 

[nekochan]

It does sound like they may be too big for her, I'm not sure what you could do about that except wait for her to grow into them, if you got the smallest size.

Personally I've always just figured, claws come with the territory-- cats/dogs have claws, so if you have them as pets it's just something you deal with. I just keep my cats' nails well trimmed and make sure to give them plenty of things to scratch and climb on. I keep several of the cardboard scratchers around (the wider ones, the cats don't seem to like the really narrow ones) a few carpeted cat furniture things, and I also have two of these which let the cats have something vertical to climb: http://www.citykittyclimber.com/ (they also like to scratch it.) They are a bit expensive, I only have two because I actually won one of them in a pet store's raffle.

With my dogs, I use a dremel when I trim their nails, which keeps them very smooth/rounded and blunt so they don't scratch things. With dogs you can also keep their nails down very short which prevents them from scratching things. That's not really an option for cats though!

 

[riccadawn]

I bought soft paws for my kittens when they were a few months old (they're a year now) and I had the same problems you are. They either chewed them off or they fell off very quickly. Of course they could have been too big or I could have been using too little glue as well. I just found it easier to train the cats what to scratch and then later on I realized how easy it is to clip claws, which is also very useful. 

 

[ivycats]

I haven't had any experience putting them on kittens, only my 1yr old cat.

Clear is definitely the way to go, colors are pretty but knowing how much glue is in them trumps it. I found that when I put them on, I had to hold my cat and bounce him around like a baby while pacing for a good 15-20 minutes to guarantee he didn't chew on them before the glue set. Always trimmed his nails before placing the caps on, and probably had a set of caps in all honesty one size too small, so I'd shove them on until they couldn't go any deeper, not because there wasn't room but because the claw became too thick for the cap at the base. They'd last him about.. 2 weeks I think, for the first one to come off, some would last a month or to the point of me being worried they'd never fall off. XD I remember once he had one blue nail for the LONGEST time after I'd switched to pink. (Once you're used to it the need for clear to see the glue is less.... Okay I lie, I Just really like the colors. >_>)

Only once did he really hurt himself with them. I used a duffle bag to smuggle him onto campus when he couldn't be alone at the apartment. There was a small hole leading into another pocket and he shoved his claw in there. He started screaming and flailing really badly, clawed me with the other paw and bit me any time I tried to reach in to help remove his paw. Finally pushed it back out by sticking my hand in the pocket, so there ARE possibilities to be hurt. However, right after he was totally chill and like, "What?" I think it might be not so much that it hurts, but just scares the crap out of them and kicks in their fight or flight instincts.

Sorry about your mom. :\ It could just be one of those things, where you've seen it SO often you're desensitized to it and it's just too commonplace. Just stay strong, stick to your guns... bribe her with a new sofa once you're financially stable.

 

[matts mom]

i used soft claws with Matt when i first got him, and I would recommend them. yes,she may get her claws caught occasionally, but she'll learn how to get around that too, just as she would learn how to unhook a caught caw from a fly screen

once you get the hang of putting them on er, they'll "fit" better too...because it takes a few tries to figure out how to get them just right, and if you don't, kitty just takes them right off lol. 

under cons i would list the way they sit at the base of the nail....leaving a little gap that can hook on toys, etc.....and they could give you a little more glue, given  that they fall off one or two at a time

 but I'll work with those for the knowledge that my cat can't tear things apart, has full use of his claws(I even watched him climb partway up a tree) and doesn't scratch me when he brings his paws into play 

Plus, the issue of declawing becomes irrelevant, because they're not in any  way harmful.....WIN,WIN

 

[glamourkitten]

I just got two kittens about a week ago now.  They're my first ever cats; I've always been a "dog person" until recently.  (Now I think I may never get another dog once the one we have now is gone!  We 

 our kittens!  Even my boyfriend, who at first wanted a Teflon suit to come in the house and was convinced they were attacking him when they wanted to climb up his pant legs.  

)

I've been having some issues with the kittys' claws as well.  They haven't ruined anything yet, but they have scratched me up several times, accidentally.  Plus, we have a small yorkie who they are getting to know and they've swatted at him a few times as well.  I bought them a small cat tree with scratching posts, which they love.  I also squirt them with a little mist bottle if I catch them biting, scratching, or climbing where they shouldn't be.  They do tend to use their claws to help them climb on the bed and the couch because they're too little to make it with just one jump.  

Anyway, I ordered them some of these "kitty caps" from Amazon.  They're kitten sized, clear with pink glitter, and they were only $4.80 something along with another $4.00 with shipping for a pack of 20.  I figured that it was such a small investment, I might as well just try it out.  The instructions online mention that if the caps don't fit height wise, you can use scissors and trim them so that they fit.  (My little darlings are only 7 weeks old, so I'm pretty sure they'll have to be trimmed.)

I'll let you guys know how they work out.   

I do have a question tho-  will the kitties still want to use their scratching posts with these on?  

 

[carolina]

I just got two kittens about a week ago now.  They're my first ever cats; I've always been a "dog person" until recently.  (Now I think I may never get another dog once the one we have now is gone!  We :heart3:  our kittens!  Even my boyfriend, who at first wanted a Teflon suit to come in the house and was convinced they were attacking him when they wanted to climb up his pant legs.  :lol3: )

I've been having some issues with the kittys' claws as well.  They haven't ruined anything yet, but they have scratched me up several times, accidentally.  Plus, we have a small yorkie who they are getting to know and they've swatted at him a few times as well.  I bought them a small cat tree with scratching posts, which they love.  I also squirt them with a little mist bottle if I catch them biting, scratching, or climbing where they shouldn't be.  They do tend to use their claws to help them climb on the bed and the couch because they're too little to make it with just one jump.  

Anyway, I ordered them some of these "kitty caps"

from Amazon.  They're kitten sized, clear with pink glitter, and they were only $4.80 something along with another $4.00 with shipping for a pack of 20.  I figured that it was such a small investment, I might as well just try it out.  The instructions online mention that if the caps don't fit height wise, you can use scissors and trim them so that they fit.  (My little darlings are only 7 weeks old, so I'm pretty sure they'll have to be trimmed.)

I'll let you guys know how they work out.   

I do have a question tho-  will the kitties still want to use their scratching posts with these on?  

Yes, they will still use their post with these on, it is instinctive.....
Do they have a cat tree/furniture? That will help to prevent them jumping /clibing on the wrong places - cats LOVE vertical spaces, and kittens are FULL of energy! Cat trees, window sills, wall shelves are huge hits, enrich their environment, and help keeping the human furniture in one piece :bigthumb:
One thing.... Try not to spray them with the water bottle when they scratch - that's no good..... I am thinking they are pretty young? Get a wand toy and play with them with it instead.
Don't ever, ever play with your hands, play wrestling, or let them play with your hands and feet - have a wand toy and always redirect their attention to the toy whenever they go to your hands and feet.
On the furniture, you can put thick double sided sticky tape on the corners - they don't like the way it feels and they will learn not to scratch it. After they learn, you remove it.
Get them used to you handling their paws and trimming their claws. You can start by trimming one claw at a time, every day, but make a habit of it. You can train a kitten very easily for pretty much everything :nod: It will make your life easier in the long run :nod:
Congrats on your babies, and welcome to TCS!

 

[glamourkitten]

Thank you for all your help!  Yes, they are very young.  Seven weeks, they'll by 8 weeks on Nov 1.  Question:  I read about the water squirting thing on a cat training newsletter.  Is this a bad idea in general (like they'll start hating baths?) or is it just a bad idea for scratching?  They do have a cat tree; it's only like 3 feet high.  I think I need to get a taller one for them as well because they climb clear up to the top shelf in my closet organizer which is just a few feet from the ceiling.  That's where they've taken to sleeping.  I sprayed their cat tree with cat nip spray, hoping they'd start sleeping in there in one of the cubbies but they don't.  They love, love, love, love the closet.  (They don't mess anything up though, so I think it's okay?)

My boyfriend & I tried putting the soft claw things on them yesterday. They're recommended for 12 to 16 weeks, but it says you can cut them down if necessary.  We tried putting one on.  It was an epic fail.  I think we really do need to wait until they're a little bigger.  

Now that they have the cat tree (they just got it this week), they're not clawing the walls and stuff anymore.  But we still manage to catch a few scratches here and there, so I'm really looking forward to being able to use the kitty caps. 

 

[glamourkitten]

Soft paws are not readily available here, and declawing is illegal - cats just have claws
Providing appropriate scratching poles/cat trees ensures the furniture isn't scratched on, and keeping the claws clipped helps too
Good luck convincing your family that not being declawed is the best choice for your kitten

Amazon!!!  Amazon has everything.  That's where I got mine from.  

 

[misscherry]

I'm sure these works well for some people, but Shanaynay just pulled them off every time i put them on, and it would take FOREVER to put them on all her claws. She would spend all day chewing them off. I gave up after a few weeks. Now that she has a ton of her own furniture to scratch she doesnt ruin mine so i'm not pressed about it.

 

[missymotus]

Amazon!!!  Amazon has everything.  That's where I got mine from.  

We don't have Amazon over here, and international shipping rates are ridiculous, but again here it's accepted that cats have claws which is why the product isn't readily available, there simply isn't a market for it.

Clipping claws and scratch pole training are easy solutions. 

 

[ilovemia]

I saved Mac at 6 weeks of age from a woman who planned to put him in front of the cat shelter in the afternoon in June (107 that day, feel like temp 112). He would have died over the weekend. He was flea infested and very malnourished. He was a scratcher of course as all kittens are in the beginning but I never gave it a though until after my stroke in July. I was put on blood thinners and when I got scratched I bleed A Lot. I had planned on getting him declawed the first of October when I had him nuetered but ended up noy having the money the. I got some caps a couple weeks ago from Petco when they were on sale. Mac chewed them off in no time. I ended up at the ER 10 days ago with a mini stroke and am now on a second blood thinner so now he will have to be declawed when nuetered on the 5th of Nov.. He has scratching posts, cat tree, door scratcher and he does NOT scratch furniture but the occasional scratches I get are not good for my health (I also will be undergoing surgery for a tumor on thyroid soon and there are alot of fears with that too). I just cant take a chance. So in some cases you cant control circumstances after all else fails. His nails are clipped weekly to but it doesnt help.

I would try the soft paws first when hes a little older. A few weeks will make a difference. Hope the new cat tree helps!

 

[cdd15]

Wow, missymotus - I must be living in a different Australia from you. Here we have Amazon and soft paws... Well, at least the ability to purchase them. You can even get them on eBay with free delivery. And the soft paws website only charges $3.00 extra for international postage, which is pretty good actually.
We are going to try soft claws on our cat, who is nearly 10 and has resisted all forms of anti furniture scratching training and has never touched one of her five scratching post in various heights and textures. Before this cat I would have agreed that this type of thing is nutso, but all my previous cats responded to training... This one - we are about to replace our furniture for the third time since we have had her and it is just getting ridiculous.. Will give these things a go... I love my cat but would love her more if she would let us keep a couch for more than three years.

 

[missymotus]

Wow, missymotus - I must be living in a different Australia from you. Here we have Amazon and soft paws... Well, at least the ability to purchase them.

Of course you can purchase from International Amazon sites, there is no amazon.com.au

Soft paws are not readily available in all stores, since most owners don't think about declawing with it being illegal here.