Anyone here have kitties and use Soft Paws? (nail caps)

LindaE

LindaE

New Member
Location
Columbus, Ohio
I tried soft paws on my cat (I have 2 cats, both indoor only) and one of them is declawed (yeah, please don't judge and call me inhumane and cruel, that isn't what this post is about) and I tried 'saving' my other cat from being declawed by using Soft Paws nail caps. But it's not working out so well. Getting them on him is a complete and total nightmare (he fights me every step of the way) and the ones that eventually fall off (or the ones he pulls off) my other cat literally EATS them. And my cat, with whatever claw he has available, has literally SHREDDED my couch as well as the corners of my bed. So come September 1st, he is losing his artillery.

However, the reason I ask if anyone here uses Soft Paws nail caps for their kitties is because I have several of them left, including a tube of the glue, as well as a few of the applicators. The ones I have are the blue sparkle, there's about 30 of them left in the pack. I'd hate to just throw them away and I don't know anyone with cats, so I can't pass them off to an acquaintance. If anyone here uses the nail caps and would like the ones I have left, I will gladly send them to the very first person (first come, first served!) who sends me a private message with shipping info.

Here's a pic of the nail caps I have...

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Plus there's ONE clear one in the pack because that's the first color choice I used (and it failed miserably) before I chose the blue ones.
 

Please try soft paws before even thinking of declawing your kitty. I've never used them but have heard good things about them from others. Declawing a cat is not just removal of the cat's nail. They clip off the cat's digit up to the first knuckle joint. This will cause your furbaby much pain and future problems can develop when it tries to use the litter box. It's walk may be affected also. This is serious surgery for a cat. Cats do shred furniture and drapes. They're just doing what cats in the wild do - sharpen their claws for prey killing. It's one of the (joys) of cat ownership. Any prospective cat adopters should know this before adopting a kitty.
 
I've never heard of nail caps before. I'm going to tell my daughter about them. She has 2 indoor cats that have almost ruined some of her furnituel
 

How would those things work when the cat's nails grow? It seems they would fall off all the time anyway because of that. My cat's nails grow like crazy.

So far I've been pretty lucky finding scratching devices they like. One cat liked hers flat on the floor so I tacked a piece of carpet upside down onto a piece of plywood and that was her favorite.
 
You know, I've got a cat that we rescued from under our porch after someone dumped him out in the country to fend for himself, he's about two years old and he doesn't shred the furniture. We have a couple of half logs for him to claw and he has a private room to spend the night in when we're sleeping or out, to prevent mischief and he loves his logs. Never uses the furniture. If he starts playing around the drapes because he likes how they're swishy, we shoo him away and furniture, well that would be the equivalent of trying to file your nails with a swatch of velvet. Seems to me that given a choice they'd never use the furniture because it doesn't do what they want it to do but too often they have nothing else.
 
Debby said:
You know, I've got a cat that we rescued from under our porch after someone dumped him out in the country to fend for himself, he's about two years old and he doesn't shred the furniture. We have a couple of half logs for him to claw and he has a private room to spend the night in when we're sleeping or out, to prevent mischief and he loves his logs. Never uses the furniture. If he starts playing around the drapes because he likes how they're swishy, we shoo him away and furniture, well that would be the equivalent of trying to file your nails with a swatch of velvet. Seems to me that given a choice they'd never use the furniture because it doesn't do what they want it to do but too often they have nothing else.
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Thank you, Debby!!

Put some aluminum foil around the areas on furniture where your cat sharpens claws. Get some pheromone stuff [ like plugging in an air freshener ] to soothe behaviors.

AND ... do get sisal scratching posts and the cardboard scratchers and a hunk of old carpet for the cat to use.

I could always clip the nails, all 28 of them, on my polydactyle Siamese. She was used to it and lay in my lap, upside-down, for the trims. I had to wrap her in a towel to begin with, but later on that wasn't necessary. I clip the front nails on my Tortie. She's too wiggly and hyper to get at her back feet.

Clipping a couple times a month will save a lot of wear and tear on everyone!

Once all this sinks in, a judiciously used "NO" ought to suffice if she should backslide.
 
This isn't a thread about whether or not I'm a horrible person for declawing my cat. It's about if anyone else uses Soft Paws and would like some extras.

Thank you.
 
NancyNGA said:
How would those things work when the cat's nails grow? It seems they would fall off all the time anyway because of that. My cat's nails grow like crazy.

So far I've been pretty lucky finding scratching devices they like. One cat liked hers flat on the floor so I tacked a piece of carpet upside down onto a piece of plywood and that was her favorite.
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They do fall off eventually, yes. And sometimes, because they're glued to the cat's nail, they literally just 'hang off' of the nail that's growing out.

Look, I understand what everyone is saying and I get that some cats never use the furniture, but my cat does. And he's being declawed. Period. I've tried everything else. And that's all I'm going to say on this because I don't want this thread to turn into exactly what it's starting to turn into, a debate thread on the horrors of cat declawing. If that happens, I will close it. I just wanted to know if anyone here uses Soft Paws and could use some extras, that's all.
 
The log worked well for my cat and he never scratched furniture. He preferred wood. Later I had another cat that preferred the couch, which was ruined, but I didn't care as my priority was never my furniture.
 
I'm not going to judge you for declawing your cat, I thought it was okay years ago before I really knew what it entailed. The whole surgery is very painful to the cat, and the pain lingers on. There are also other negatives about this operation. There's still hope for your other cat, before you do this to her. http://www.petforums.com/showthread...d-against-declawing?highlight=declawing+don't

I've never declawed any of my cats, and definitely would not with the knowledge I now have. I clip my cat's nails every few weeks, just the tips, and if he did scratch anything, it wouldn't be that bad. He doesn't scratch my furniture, soft speaker covers, curtains or anything else.

We have a few scratcher options in the house for him that he can use when he wants to, regular scratching post with carpet and sisal, and a couple of those cardboard scratchers that are cheap, and put on the floor.

There are tightly woven heavy duty rugs you can buy in places like Home Depot or Lowes, they have a black rubber backing and are excellent for cat scratching, as the material does not pull and it's very satisfying for them. We have one in our kitchen and in our camper for the cat to use as he pleases.

You have to spend a little time training them to use these things, and getting them interested, well worth the effort IMO. There's also something called Sticky Paws Tape that you can buy in pet stores, it's a clear tape around the width of duct tape, and is supposed to discourage scratching, as they do not like the feel of it. I wouldn't use those caps, they never sounded like a good choice for cats to me.

Please, for the cat's sake, do not have another declawing operation.
 
Cookie said:
The log worked well for my cat and he never scratched furniture. He preferred wood. Later I had another cat that preferred the couch, which was ruined, but I didn't care. Some people should not have pets if their priority is the furniture.
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See, I knew I should have never posted this. Now I'm being judged by all of you and told, in so many words, that I shouldn't have pets. Was that comment really necessary? Because it is hurtful (which you must have realized because you changed it, but I saw it before you changed it). And I'm sorry you feel that way. Maybe I should just delete this thread and go away, if that would make you all feel better.
 
SeaBreeze said:
I'm not going to judge you for declawing your cat, I thought it was okay years ago before I really knew what it entailed. The whole surgery is very painful to the cat, and the pain lingers on. There are also other negatives about this operation. There's still hope for your other cat, before you do this to him. http://www.petforums.com/showthread...d-against-declawing?highlight=declawing+don't

I've never declawed any of my cats, and definitely would not with the knowledge I now have. I clip my cat's nails every few weeks, just the tips, and if he did scratch anything, it wouldn't be that bad. He doesn't scratch my furniture, soft speaker covers, curtains or anything else.

We have a few scratcher options in the house for him that he can use when he wants to, regular scratching post with carpet and sisal, and a couple of those cardboard scratchers that are cheap, and put on the floor.

There are tightly woven heavy duty rugs you can buy in places like Home Depot or Lowes, they have a black rubber backing and are excellent for cat scratching, as the material does not pull and it's very satisfying for them. We have one in our kitchen and in our camper for the cat to use as he pleases.

You have to spend a little time training them to use these things, and getting them interested, well worth the effort IMO. There's also something called Sticky Paws Tape that you can buy in pet stores, it's a clear tape around the width of duct tape, and is supposed to discourage scratching, as they do not like the feel of it. I wouldn't use those caps, they never sounded like a good choice for cats to me.

Please, for the cat's sake, do not have another declawing operation.
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Please just delete this thread. I can see where this is going.
 
Linda, I think what you see here are people who are just concerned for cats in general, that we shouldn't be causing them hurt. We think of them like we think of our kids and if one of our kids kept breaking windows because of throwing baseballs around the back yard, we wouldn't cut their hand off to stop them. We'd look for other ways to prevent the damage like enrolling them in a T-ball team or teach them to knit :playful:. I hope you won't feel that you should go away because that wasn't anyone's intention at all.

I remember going on a veg'n forum one time and getting involved in a discussion about dog breeding and I got soundly trounced because I spoke out in support of a friend of mine who is a breeder of Weimeraners. I learned from the discussion, changed some of my opinions (not all) and I didn't let them chase me away. I hope you won't head for the hills either. Instead check out some of the other ideas for keeping your kitty happy in less destructive ways. I think the idea that Seabreeze suggested about that carpet that they have in their kitchen and camper sounds interesting. And as I said, my cat loves a half log that still has the bark on. He can hook his nails in real good and gets a good stretch to boot because it's heavy enough not to shift. Do you know anybody who cuts and splits their own wood for the fireplace? You'd want something that is about 18" long and 12" in width. And because it's got a rounded profile, it seems to fit their grasp pretty good. Ziggy makes a beeline for his every evening when he's tucked in for the night in his 'room'.
 
Sorry Linda, you used my pre-edited post. No one is judging you, we just want what's best for your cat.
 
I agree that we just want the best for your cat who has not undergone the operation yet, and hope that you would consider some of our suggestions. We are not judging you Linda, please don't take our love for animals the wrong way. If you read the link I posted, you'd see all the reasons not to do it, there are so may other options to consider. :sentimental:
 
As I said, I understand what you're all trying to say. But that's not what this thread is about. And I'm not getting into an argument with you all about whether or not I love my cat or deserve to have him.
 
No... I don't use the caps... do they even stay on? I have 5 cats.. Three are front-declawed and 2 are not.. One was declawed when I adopted her.. two I had declawed.. as I was certain that they would tear up my drapes and furniture.. I make no apologies.. and they do just fine without the claws. BUT.. after having two cats with all their claws.. I see that they don't do all that much damage particularly since I provide ample scratching posts.. So although I am NOT taking in any more cats.. If I did.. I wouldn't bother with the expense of the declawing.

All my cats are indoor cats and have never been outside in their lives. Some will tell me THAT is cruel... but IMO.. not as cruel as being picked up for bait in a dog ring... hit by a car... mauled by neighborhood dogs... poisoned by those that don't want them using their flower beds for a toilet or want them killing the neighborhood song birds. .. Nope.. no apologies for that either... My cats will live long happy fat and sassy lives, sleeping in a sun spot in my windows or on my bed.
 
QuickSilver said:
No... I don't use the caps... do they even stay on? I have 5 cats.. Three are front-declawed and 2 are not.. One was declawed when I adopted her.. two I had declawed.. as I was certain that they would tear up my drapes and furniture.. I make no apologies.. and they do just fine without the claws. BUT.. after having two cats with all their claws.. I see that they don't do all that much damage particularly since I provide ample scratching posts.. So although I am NOT taking in any more cats.. If I did.. I wouldn't bother with the expense of the declawing.
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Yes, they stay on for a while. But will eventually fall off. Or my cat will pull them off himself. So then we go back to the battlefield to replace the ones that are missing. And this just isn't working out. He's got logs and scratching posts. Which he uses. But he uses everything else as well.

I too make no apologies (thank you for that) and my other cat does just fine without her claws. She still 'kneads' at bedtime and still thinks she's tearing up everything because she still 'claws' at the furniture. And it isn't just furniture they tear up. It's drapes, walls and the one that scares me the most, the window screens. I'm terrified one of these days they (or the cat who still has claws) are going to tear a hole in the screen and then there go my kitties. Gone.
 
Funny not a word on here about trimming your cats nails like you do you own.
I have 4 indoor cats and I do mine all the time every 2 months or so.
If you want to try it you need to get some expert advice at the vets office, I use a child used jacket with zipper on it.
I reach into one of the sleeve and pull a paw out to snip off these nails.
YOU DO NOT want to clip near that red vein so use a strong light to see it.
 
Davey Jones said:
Funny not a word on here about trimming your cats nails like you do you own.
I have 4 indoor cats and I do mine all the time every 2 months or so.
If you want to try it you need to get some expert advice at the vets office, I use a child used jacket with zipper on it.
I reach into one of the sleeve and pull a paw out to snip off these nails.
YOU DO NOT want to clip near that red vein so use a strong light to see it.
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Yes, that's true. I used to trim his nails and you have to be very careful. Usually I just trim off the very tip.
 
And I'm sorry if I've upset everyone with my decision to declaw my cat. That wasn't my intention. And I do appreciate everyone's suggestions. But I have no desire to get into a debate about this. I know many people are very sensitive to the declaw issue. I understand that. It wasn't an easy decision for me to make. That's why I went the nail cap route. He was ONE day away from being declawed when I decided to buy the Soft Paws. But that's not working out very well either.
 
LindaE said:
And I'm sorry if I've upset everyone with my decision to declaw my cat. That wasn't my intention. And I do appreciate everyone's suggestions. But I have no desire to get into a debate about this. I know many people are very sensitive to the declaw issue. I understand that. It wasn't an easy decision for me to make. That's why I went the nail cap route. He was ONE day away from being declawed when I decided to buy the Soft Paws. But that's not working out very well either.
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You didn't upset me in the least. If my two un-declawed cats were destructive and tearing up my house I would be having them declawed.. Don't give a hoot what others think. They are better off in my house without front claws... than they would be in a shelter or out on the street. period.
 
QuickSilver said:
You didn't upset me in the least. If my two un-declawed cats were destructive and tearing up my house I would be having them declawed.. Don't give a hoot what others think. They are better off in my house without front claws... than they would be in a shelter or out on the street. period.
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Thank you. I very much appreciate your words. Both of my kitties are rescues who receive regular vet care and are up to date on their shots and they get heartworm medication every month (even though they're indoor-only, but mosquitoes get into houses as well) so I *do* care about them.

I read your above post again where you added about cats being outdoors. A family member asked me once why I don't let my cats outside, insinuating that keeping them indoors 24/7 was cruel. And I said, "Well, let's see here.... I don't want them hit by cars, shot by cat haters, stolen and used for sacrifice at Halloween (especially Alex, he's all black), poisoned, getting into fights, etc." A friend's cat came home without an eye once. They don't know if he was shot with a BB gun or lost it in a fight, but the poor thing went the rest of his life with one eye and one hole. We nicknamed him Popeye. He was a sweet cat, though.
 
LindaE, I understand completely why you have chosen to declaw your cat. I have a cat too and yes, I had her declawed. I had tried everything, including several different things that I wanted her to use to scratch on. But, she thought she could use those AND my furniture, drapes, and everything else I didn't want her to scratch on. I tried keeping her nails trimmed but that didn't stop her either so as a last resort, I had her declawed because she was destroying everything. I got her when she was a kitten and had her declawed as soon as she was old enough and she is 15 years old now and has not ever had any of those problems from being declawed and she is healthy. If it has ever bothered her, she hasn't shown it.
 

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