Softpaws?

[megan_in_pink]

We are thinking about getting a new cat and I am not for declawing at all. My frist cat I had turned the house into her scrathing post. She was not trained well and now one was home druing the day at that time to stop her.

We are looking at gettinga new kitty in the next few weeks, and since we learend our lesson the hard was the frist time, this time we are going to train this cat from day one.

I was just wondering if any of you have tried soft paws, and if you have do they work well?

[mummummum]

I'm a dawg person but from the little i know about de-clawing, I would like to congratulate you on choosing the alternative.

[jessi76]

there was a recent discussion on these here:

http://www.pets.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=35171

[erykah1310]

I find that getting your cat used to having their nails clipped on a regular basis is more than enough to prevent damage due to clawing things. I clip the cats nails once a week and they have very dull "nubs" they still claw at stuff but no damage done...
Thanks for not declawing

[megan_in_pink]

I just can't declaw a pet, I mean the last one did alot damage, and now we have new sofas and stuff. But the frist time was our problem she did not use her claws much when she was a kitten and then all of sudden she did.

[chico2]

Megan,I do not mean to be discouraging,but maybe you should reconsider getting a cat
No matter what you do,clip their nails etc..(absolutely no declawing)unless you can keep them out of the room with the couches,the cat will get to the couch at one time or the other,especially beeing alone during the day..
With training,cat-trees,cardboard scratchers etc...the cat will not completely destroy the couch,but there is never 100%guarantee.
Don't get me wrong,I LOVE cats and have always had cats,but they do love couches.
We ended up getting leather,the absolute best if you have cats..my own cats don't really scratch my couches anymore,but I am home to make sure they don't.
Ok,I am ready to be reprimanded
Ps.I am only concerned you'll discover the new cat scratches the new couch and he'll end up back where he came from:sad:

[JanM]

I agree about not declawing - if the cat ever had to defend itself - for the rest of its life - it couldn't! To help with my cat's "integration" to the household, I got cat pheremones from the vet's. The product is sprayed on whatever the cat marks - by urine or by scratching - to help stop them marking there. I just learned that, when cats scratch something, they release a scent from their paws. So far the pheremones are working. It's expensive though. I also got some cardboard scratch boxes with catnip - both cats love it!

[megan_in_pink]

Originally Posted by chico2

Megan,I do not mean to be discouraging,but maybe you should reconsider getting a cat
No matter what you do,clip their nails etc..(absolutely no declawing)unless you can keep them out of the room with the couches,the cat will get to the couch at one time or the other,especially beeing alone during the day..
With training,cat-trees,cardboard scratchers etc...the cat will not completely destroy the couch,but there is never 100%guarantee.
Don't get me wrong,I LOVE cats and have always had cats,but they do love couches.
We ended up getting leather,the absolute best if you have cats..my own cats don't really scratch my couches anymore,but I am home to make sure they don't.
Ok,I am ready to be reprimanded
Ps.I am only concerned you'll discover the new cat scratches the new couch and he'll end up back where he came from:sad:

i fully understand what you are saying but ment is that our last one went nuts she manged to get down the wooden part of the couch :| then we got a new living room set and found this spray sent from god and cat hated it, and so did I. I work wonders, granted I want to hurl every time I would spray it....

[MartiniGIrl]

if your furniture is more important than your pet, please dont get a cat.

I have 6 cats and none of them scratch my furniture. I clip all their nails regularly, have 2 scratching posts (which I spray catnip onto) and they've all learned from the beginning to use only the posts. Now and then they'll will scratch the area rug in the front hall, but my furniture remains in tact.

Please DO NOT declaw ANY cat. It is cruel. Would you like it if someone removed your nail beds???

[chico2]

Martinigirl,the OP was asking about Soft-Paws,she did not say she was going to declaw a new cat.
I think we all feel the same about declawing

[heidiho]

Amen to that,my kitten loves the arm and bottom of our couch,i have bought cat scratchers and have put throws over couch,but there really is no stopping her she loves loves couch,she doesnt always do it,she will use this cardboard thing we bought and scratch on that,but i am with everyone here,they just love couches,i clip her nails when she is sleeping works like a dream......

[megan_in_pink]

I would never declaw a cat, i just really hope the mix of soft paws (if i get them) and that spray stuff will keep her away from the new living room set, she even has nice oak post she can use, and saterday i am going out (or try to go out) to get a scraching post and cat nip.

[chico2]

Megan,I just lately bought the cardboard scratcher and all 3 of my mature cats use it.
My 3 do not really scratch furniture anymore,but the couches retired to the basement are proof of what they did once.
The real damage over the years were to some of my door-frames,which if we ever sell our house,will have to be replaced.

However,the damage is nothing compared to the love and laughter I get from my cats
I would suggest you get 2 cats instead of one,more fun and they will use up their energy on each other,not so much the couches.

[megan_in_pink]

I want two cats but, this house already has 22 fish a bunny and a bird. So getting ONE cat has been up hill battle.

[heidiho]

For sure if we had the $$$ and space i would defintley get her a friend....And i know i have siad it like 3 x but i did it again last night took less then 2 minutes and all her claws are clipped,i never thought i could clip a cats claws but when they are in a good deep sleep it is fast and soo easy......

[megan_in_pink]

We are going start by cliping and see how that gose. Just have to add nail clipper to the list of thing I need to get.

What kind should I get?

[heidiho]

I got mine at the vets they are pretty small and were like 6.00,..They wanted 16.00 to clip her nails so i figured i would try it myself and so happy i did

[allygirlxo8]

i wasnt able to read all the replys to this thread so i dont know if this was metioned... but cats have sent glands between their toes and so when they scratch it is just instinct. dont yell. that is bad because they are just doing what they are ment to do. i know you can spray things on what you dont want them to scratch. cats dont like lemon so try a lemon spray. make sure there is something for the cat to scratch. i dont know what softpaws is. sorry

[AliSam]

Josie has put claw holes in the front part of our couch. Oh well, we love her more than the couch so we got over it. We still have teeth marks on our coffee table from Alicia

[CyberKitten]

Lisa Violet has a great site on declawing - and I think you would be hard pressed to find anyone who supports amputation aka declawing here.

http://declaw.lisaviolet.com/
http://declaw.lisaviolet.com/declawstory.html

I have heard more negative things than positive about SoftPaws - mostly that cats have a hard time keeping them on or that they just do not work as advertised. Still, some ppl figure out how to use them well. maybe someone here has?

I trim my cats' claws myself and that works just fine, along with lots of education - esp as kittens - re clawing the furniture. I NEVER would punish a cat for doing something to a piece of furniture - because that's all it is, furniture. I do teach them to use their sisal rugs and scratching posts. Smart kitties all, they are excellent about doing that too.

[heidiho]

holy s*** those pics of declawing are insane,wow wow,that is horrendous,ok that is all i can say about that.....

[heidiho]

Actually i do have more to say,i dont knwo how anyone could look at those and ever again have any kind of doubt of how horrible and cruel that is,that should be against the law everywhere,god that hurts just lookin at it,i cant even imagine how long it takes for a cat to recover from what i am sure is alot alot of pain,my god what do they do when they go to the bathroom and use there paws like they do,even if it is newspaper as kitty litter that has got to hurt their paws.wow i have never seen pics of a declaw and never want to again,there should be no debate on this subject.............

[chico2]

My feeling is,if you get a cat,cats come with claws,would anyone amputate a dogs toes,because they scratch the floor,or pull a puppies teeth out because they chew on everything?
Cats are trainable,it does not always work 100%,but that comes with the territory,any pet will do some sort of damage,well,maybe not fish..
I have not seen any pics or video about declawing(could not stomache it!),still just the thought of it makes me ill

[heidiho]

Well do not look at those,that was my first time seeing it,and i am in complete shock of how horrific that is and the pain they must go through.....I am still having problems with her clawing couch but all the couches or $$$$$ in the world could never get me to do that.....

[CyberKitten]

I recently read something by a woman who for some reason had part of a thumb? - finger anyway amputated and how painful - years later it still is. And she said imagine that times 10 and having to walk on that!! I'll see if I can find her exact wording....

Here is it:

A friend of mine sent me this email about an experience she had when one of her fingers was "declawed" and the pain she still feels from it years later.
It's sad to think we live in a society where many members still do not recognize or acknowledge, including veterinarians, that animals can & do feel pain & distress. I have no doubt from observing and living with declawed cats that they feel some kind of pain (chronic, nerve, or phantom) at some point in their lives in their declawed paws, afterall, these paws have had healthy bone, tendons, tissues, nerves, and blood vessels severed off - and for no good reason!

***^..^***

"I can't speak for the cats, but I share your opinion based on my own personal "declaw" experience.

Several years ago, I was attacked by a German Shepherd who bit 90% through the end joint of my left hand ring finger, cutting thru the bone, muscle and nerve completely, and leaving the finger hanging by just a shred of skin.

After 8 hours in the emergency room, the doctors were able to piece my mangled finger back together, but because the nerve had been completely severed, that finger has never felt the same. It's forever tingly, half-numb, and yet oddly overly-sensitive at the same time.

It almost seems like -- and again, this is just from my own experience -- nerves that have been cut through like that try to over-compensate for their loss by getting over-stimulated when they try to heal themselves back again -- so that now I have *intense* pain in that end part of my finger any time my hands get cold, or if I accidentally bang my hand too hard by simply knocking on a door or just clapping my hands.

But the really scary part is this: Take the nerve pain that I currently feel in just ONE finger and multiply it by 10 FINGERS all at the same time -- and then imagine having to put all your weight on them and walk around on that pain. I tell you, I wouldn't put my worst enemy through that.

These sweet kitties must be awfully forgiving to still love us humans even after torturing them like that. Ouch."

---

Personally, I understand why it is outlaws in most civilized countries. We need it outlaw it here too - and the US!

[heidiho]

I never understood this whole thing about if or if not animals feel pain,sadness etc.I am not sure how this can even be a question.Example "The owner that dies and you read how animal was sitting by them",example "First got Roxy she was super small stepped on her by accident she lets out a cry."....urggggghhhhh i think i have pms.....:sad: