SOFT PAWS an alternative to declawing

[NewLeaf]

I noticed a thread about the declawing of kitties. Firstly, the question is why do we do this in the first place? Not for the cat, because their claws aren't just for defense, they help them in many other ways too like keeping the safe if they misjudge a jump and need to hold on for a moment.... Declawing is just that, amputating their little toes off at the first joint. OWWWWW. Many times thre cat can't even walk right after healing.

There is a soloution, Soft Paws. They are so cool they are like Lee Press on Nails for cats. You just use the super glue that comes with them, put a drop inside the kitty claw shaped nail, your choice of colors (pink, red, green, blue...) and stick em over the cats claw. Voila, a cute, accessorized kitty witout the scratching and furniture destroying ability they once had, yet they can still grip enough to svae themselves in a pinch. You can get them online in small, medium or large and your choice of colors. They come off naturally when the cat sheds the claw sheath so when you notice one missing, you pop another on and it is easier than the first time you put them on because replacment is generally one or two at a time only. They usually last 6 weeks, sometimes more.

Declawing is inhumane and unnecessary in my opinion. Hope this info helps andy of you on-the-fence people out there. : -}

[waltercat]

Be careful using soft paws. If you do not cut them off after six weeks they will curve into your pets paw and your cat will have an ingrown nail. I just realized it on my cat and now i need to take him to the vet to have it removed.

[April2]

You're braver than I am! I had both of my son's circumsized when they were newborns but I would not have been able to watch it. Fortunately, neither one of them seem to remember the event and don't seem too traumatized by it, and one's 19 and the other's 3 now! :)

And I know that you aren't judging me. You've been nothing but nice to me! :) And very helpful too! I have a new kitten. Maybe I'll consider not declawing her. I do have new leather couches though that I'm a little worried about. I think she already got a pin hole sized hole in one. I'll give it some thought. Thanks for writing back! You've been very nice to me and I appreciate it!

[Savas]

Well, it's not *exactly* the same. One is cosmetic with some benefit to the human. The other is amputation for the convenience of the human owner and removal of a cats main defensive characteristic.

Hey, I';m not judging you. I'm just saying you have to be aware of potential personality quirks, and hope to God that the cat never gets out, as it will NOT do well in the outdoors. .

I saw a circumcision once...and had to leave the house because the baby's screams where so blood curdling and pathetic. Went though me like a knife. Couldn't bear to hear it anymore!  Hmmm...I have a friend who converted at 22...I should ask how it went for him! :)

[April2]

No offense, but I always had cats growing up and still do and we always declawed them. We had very loving, affectionate, playful cats. My mom didn't want her furniture destroyed so all our cats were declawed. I'm sure they didn't have stuff like this back then. The older cat I have now I got at the Humane Society and she'd already been fixed and declawed when I got her (she was 2 years old when I got her.) She's one of the sweetest, most affectionate cat's I've ever had. She always crawls up in my lap and lays her head on my chest like a baby. So to say that declawing drives the cats insane or makes them more aggressive I don't think is completely accurate. I've had many cats growing up and also after I moved out and NEVER, EVER had a problem with declawing. All our cats had no problems jumping up on high places, too. We had a cat that used to like jumping up on a high built in bookcase in our old house, another one who liked to jump up on top of the refrigerator.

I know this is a sensitive subject. I think it's probably simular to the debate on whether to circumcise your little boy or not! :) Some people will say that's inhumane to circumsize, others will argue against that.

I personally don't see anything wrong with declawing (and I hope I don't get attacked for that!), and I probably will continue to do so while I have cats. I love my animals and take very good care of them. They always get their shots, teeth cleaned, special diets if needed, toys, treats and most of all lot's and lot's of lovin! :) I spoil all my animals and take better care of them than a lot of people I know. When I was growing up, my mom and I were both really bad about bringing home the strays and abused kitties. People would call my mom after awhile because they knew she'd take in another animal. So, please don't call people who declaw inhumane. We love our cats too!

[Kam21]

Softpaw did not work for me my cat pulled them off.

[Savas]

Hmmm...I COULD glue the cats to each other...nononono...I promised i wouldn't do that after the time I taped that kitten to the floor. Seemed more perplexed than anything... heh heh...

Thanks, it could definitely help. We haven't had a real destructive "clawer" in a while. But it's good to know there's a new product that works. We use the bitter apple/ OFF! stuff, which works but it takes a few tries of "heading them off at the pass" as they find new things to claw. I've given up and allow them to go after my soft carry case for the electric saw. They seem to enjoy it more then the scratching post, soooo... they win this round!

Off topic, had one of those "terrible things" happen. We've got an all black female cat who insists on sitting in hallways and doorways in the total dark. Tends to get stepped on. I think it's a deliberate ploy to invoke injured sympathy.

Meanwhile, I'm repairing a drawer, and I go to put it back in. It gets stuck halfway.
I go "Hmm...that shouldn't be happening."
*shove shove*

Pull out...think for a second... *SHOVE!* *SHOVE!*

Pull it out all frustrated, and hear *scrabble scrabble* from in the draw space, and a fat, very pissed off black cat comes scrambling out, all wild eyed, furious, and scared.

I finally herd her into a corner and pick her up, trying to comfort her, while laughing...which makes it worse since she KNOWS I'm laughing at her...
She went out the window in an indignant huff three hours ago. Just came back in, looked at me sullenly and curled up on my pillow...which she knows I hate, since it works up my allergies. But HOW can I say know after nearly crushing her?!?!

I think it's a deliberate ploy on her part to make me look bad in front of my wife, who said yes, she agrees with her. I totally, thoroughly, suck!!! :)

[NewLeaf]

Soft paw is on line. Go to their name without a space and then dot com.

[NewLeaf]

Hey - sent you an e---mail with SoftPaw info as well as updates...

We do use them when one of the boys start a clawing the furniture competition. It stops them after they have them on and they don't start up until months and months after they drop off. I am usually a bit lazy and don't put one on as soon as the claw sheath coms off so I wait till they get a bit too destructive again. You do have to be careful to not fill the soft paw up to the rim with the glue since it is super glue and you can end up stuck to your cat for a while or gluing the heck out of their fur. Half full is just about right. I always order extra glue bottle tips that fit down into the fake claw. They do look kindof cute when they are sporting their colored nails.... pink, fuscia and purple for the tough guys just to show em they aren't so tough after all and multi colored on each toe for the little snowshoe siameese who has cream paws so the colors really stand out like confeti..

We have been fostering our daughters cat for the last 8months since they are homeless and boy, the territorial gang up from the other 3 males is fierce sometimes. They will all decide to corner him just to let him know who was here first. Just helps keep me focused on something different from time to time...

[Savas]

I've heard of "soft claws", but having never seen it in action, we're reserving judgement. But it does sound promising, and a healthier option to declawing. Have you actually used them? (Umm... not YOU, you're cat. :)  )



You're right, declawing is inhumane. I did a paper on "Cat Psychology" and how declawing can drive a cat literally insane, bringing out all kinds of negative behavior.

Of course, somebody always comes along and says "My declawed cat is perfectly happy"... to which I shrug and say "Anything's possible."

But we won't foster declawed cats anymore. We've dealt with about 3 dozen over the years, and they're always...pretty miserable, crazy cats. None of the normal techniques we use to make cats happy and mentally stable enough to be adopted work with them. They're a lot of work, and they tend to stay neurotic and high strung no matter what.

Declawing is the equivalent of cutting of a person's fingers at the first knuckles. And a cat can't emotionally adjust and "come to terms". All it knows is it's crippled, can't defend itself normally, can't do half the things it used to be able to, etc...

And crippled animals in the wild usually go off somewhere alone to die.

I have a link that shows the surgical procedure in detail, for anyone interested.

[krickett]

I love Soft Paws! We actually started using them when my kitty got an ear infection. He kept scratching at his ear until it was sore. So, we got the ear treated but also applied the Soft Paws to keep him from scratching at his already sore ear so it could heal and he's doing so much better now! LOL and so is my furniture! :)