Instead of delawing....soft paws?

[Boxley]

What about Pedi-Paws?

 

[MrsToad]

My kitty wears soft paws and we love it. One of us holds him, and the other puts them on him. Every once in awhile he will bite one off, but overall they work great!

This is us, too. One cat doesn't scratch the walls and furniture, but the other does. We asked the Vet to show us how to properly trim the "scratching cat's" nails and put on the Softpaws the first time; we've done them since. While the cat doesn't like having them put on, he gets over it in about 5 minutes. He gets one off now and then, but over-all, they stay on nicely.

 

[Princess_Nikki]

One of our kitties is pushing my buttons. He has begun (and he is beyond full grown) clawing my furniture to the point of destroying the arm. I'm not a happy camper. He's now started on my chair and a hlaf! Grrrrrrrrrrr!!

Yes, I trim his claws, but it doesn't stop him from using the house as his scratching post. I found Soft Paws online...but I'm not convinced.

Has anyone ever used them before? What were your results? I can just invision him running for the door, clawing me in the process, and me with these things stuck to me in the process.

http://www.softpaws.com/

~~~Kelly

Hi Kelly!
This is a really *hot* issue with cat people. I myself am PRO Soft paws. You need to make sure you have the right fit. I would ask your vet to help you determine which size you would need for your kitty. If you do get them too small they will fall off constantly. They won't stay on forever, mind you, you will need to keep buying them and gluing them on.

De-clawing a cat would be like cutting off your own fingers after the first joint. I urge you to google the harmful effects of de-clawing kitties. Most turn into biters because they no longer have the claws to defend themselves. I know a lot of vets that won't even de-claw cats after a certain age. That says a lot in itself.

I love cats, and have had them too. I know how frustrating it can be to have them tear up everything. Argh...my cat got to my LEATHER massage table before! I was NOT happy, but it was my own fault for keeping it out, not taking the time to re-glue his soft paws, or finding him another suitable scratching post. Cats scratch to relieve tension and to sharpen their claws. You can even find very affordable scratching post alternatives.

That kitty is your new special companion, and he is relying on you to take good care of him. Good luck!

 

[handinpocket]

We tried soft paws - it was awful. We probably could have made $10,000 from AFV when we tried to put them on our kitty. She hated them - she chewed them off and I was afraid she would swallow them. I love pets - we have 3 of them, but my home and items are not easy to replace. We declawed - I know people say it isn't humane, but it isn't right to be squirting and frightening the cat all the time either.

Almost my story to the tee. My kitty hated the soft paws, and did eat a few of them. We finally declawed (with the laser technique). She was running and jumping as soon as we brought her home from the vet and wasn't truamatized at all.

 

[DMRick]

Let me get this out of the way first. I work with a rescue group and when you adopt from us, you agree to not declaw. The group feels it's inhumane and can cause damage to the cat. I follow their rules and instruct adopters to not declaw. I would never suggest otherwise to our adopters.

There, that said, I have had two declawed cats. My choice was to keep the cats or not. I tried everything..had zero luck with the soft paws, however I know plenty of people who have had great luck (I just gave three packs my daughter had left over to someone and they love them, once they got the hang of them). I've worked for several vets over the years as a vet lab tech and I have to say, I have yet to see all this damage that is talked about when people discuss declawing. In almost 20 years, I have not seen a cat brought in who has trouble with their paws, and I've never had anyone tell me their cat was a biter after having it done.
My daughter recently had her cat declawed after trying to keep the claws trimmed, using the soft paws, buying every cat scratcher made (which I now have for my foster babies), using the double stick tapel, foil, spray bottle..until she just couldn't take the damage anymore. She had the laser declawing done. Her cat, like mine before hers, still stretch out and make clawing movements.
Sometimes choices have to be made that not everyone will agree with. It's your home and your furniture. Only you can decide if this needs to be done in order to enjoy having your cat live with you. This isn't a subject you will get everyone to agree on.

 

[kacaju]

Most turn into biters because they no longer have the claws to defend themselves.

I would like to know where you get your data to support this arguement.

I just did a head count and I have owned 18 cats in my life time and only 3 were not declawed the other 15 were and the only biter we had in this group was one that was NOT declawed.

I am not trying to turn this into a debate.. I only want to know where you get your information from because that has never been the case in my family.

 

[Princess_Nikki]

http://www.declawing.com/htmls/declawing.htm

There you go! Nearly every cat I've come across who is de-clawed has a bad attitude and bites. Could this be random? Maybe. I didn't say ALL cats. All cats have different personalities.

How would any of you feel having your finger cut off to the joint? It would prohibit much of what you do! For example...typing in forums?

That being said, if you need to consider partially amputating your cat's phalanges to save your furniture or other material objects, perhaps you really shouldn't be a cat owner. They are beautiful, lovely animals, and a lot of people like cats. But, like with many species, sacrifices and humane compromises need to be made for the happiness of both the pet owners and the pet.

 

[denisem]

http://www.declawing.com/htmls/declawing.htm

There you go! Nearly every cat I've come across who is de-clawed has a bad attitude and bites. Could this be random? Maybe. I didn't say ALL cats. All cats have different personalities.

How would any of you feel having your finger cut off to the joint? It would prohibit much of what you do! For example...typing in forums?

That being said, if you need to consider partially amputating your cat's phalanges to save your furniture or other material objects, perhaps you really shouldn't be a cat owner. They are beautiful, lovely animals, and a lot of people like cats. But, like with many species, sacrifices and humane compromises need to be made for the happiness of both the pet owners and the pet.

May be true for earlier declaw methods. Can you support the same facts for laser declaw?

 

[Princess_Nikki]

http://www.janskids.com/laser.html

The effects are the same.

On rare occasions de-clawing is the preferred method for the benefit of the cat due to health reasons. My Aunt has a cat that is literally allergic to EVERYTHING. After several tests, and medicines, at the vet, there wasn't much else they could do. He would scratch himself so badly, he would have deep wounds and would bleed.

 

[kinntj]

http://www.declawing.com/htmls/declawing.htm

How would any of you feel having your finger cut off to the joint? It would prohibit much of what you do! For example...typing in forums?

Rediculous argument.
If my only job was to eat, pee and poo in a litter box and purr, then yea I don't need my fingers to the joint. As long as I knew where my next meal was coming from, then I would be a happy human kitty.

I think before declawing that everything else should be tried and tested on your cat. All cats are different and they take different measure to stop scratching on furniture. If you've really given it all you got with other measures first, then I would say to declaw.

added: We have had 2 cats, one declawed and the other was not. Our declawed little girl didn't have attitude issues. She was our spoiled kitty who loved chasing her mice around after hitting them across the floor. We don't have any cats now, due to them both passing away from cancer. We still haven't gotten over the loss of our little girl just before New Year.

 

[C.Ann]

DD had two choices back in 1997 with her two cats - get them declawed or get rid of them.. (It was while she and her DH were living with his parents - while he was finishing his college degree and working on the foreclosed home they purchased..) They talked it over and decided to go ahead and have it done - but only after discussing it with a family member - who is a vet.. The surgery went smoothly, the recovery was relatively quick, and they never resorted to "biting" to defend themselves.. (Of course they were also strictly indoor cats.. If not, it wouldn't have been an option..)

One of those cats passed away last year (complications from diabetes and liver issues) - the other cat is alive, well, happy, and very affectionate..

While not an ideal choice, occasionally there are circumstances where it really is the "better" choice..

 

[kacaju]

http://www.declawing.com/htmls/declawing.htm

There you go! Nearly every cat I've come across who is de-clawed has a bad attitude and bites. Could this be random? Maybe. I didn't say ALL cats. All cats have different personalities.

How would any of you feel having your finger cut off to the joint? It would prohibit much of what you do! For example...typing in forums?

That being said, if you need to consider partially amputating your cat's phalanges to save your furniture or other material objects, perhaps you really shouldn't be a cat owner. They are beautiful, lovely animals, and a lot of people like cats. But, like with many species, sacrifices and humane compromises need to be made for the happiness of both the pet owners and the pet.

we will just have to agree to disagree. If you feel so strongly against declawing, so be it. If you feel you must inform people of just how horrible it is, that is your right.

I also have the same right to tell people how I feel about declawing. I can only go by my personal experience of owning 18 cats throughout my life.
Growing up my declawed cats went outside and climbed trees. My declawed cats have always been able to run, jump, play and do exactly everything that the clawed cats can do.

I also mentioned that I used to work for a Vet. I worked there for 11-12 years. I have had personal experience with actually watching cats being declawed daily. It still does not turn me off from doing it if I needed to.

 

[charming23]

We chose to have our girls declawed for 2 reasons the first was that Caly has a deformed toe and the nail was actually growing into the toe next to it and causeing her major pain so for her it would be better to not have front claws and she is perfectly fine to this day. In fact after bring her home the next day she was running around like nothing was wrong (we to did the laser treatment). The second was that our other cat Cleo kept scratching her own eye and causing scratches on her lense. She too did perfectly well.

I know it is a hot button issue but we did it only after speaking to the vet and making an informed decision.

 

[DMRick]

I don't buy a lot of what is in that article, and this is based on experience. Working for a vet as a vet lab tech for close to 20 years (and almost as much time in cat/kitten rescue, where we often rescue those about to be put down, so I'm well aware of why people return cats..we've had to be at our local shelter quickly sometimes to save a cat that can be rehabbed), and much time spent with him in surgery, declawing is much like any other surgery. Yes, on occasion, something will turn out differently than expected, but that is the very unusual case. The vets I've worked with have never had anyone come back saying something was wrong with the cats paws after a declaw. No way, after years of experience, do I buy that most cats are given up to the shelter because they are biters and that 75% of those are declawed. Not even a fraction of cats returned are declawed. That simply isn't the case. I'm on email lists of many shelters, locally and afar. There are many reasons cats are given up, but I would say biting is on the bottom of the list. Expense, just not wanting to deal with a cat and litter, bad bathroom habits, fleas, scratching children are way up there.
I understand the feelings people have on declawing, especially working day in and out with cat lovers, but a lot of what is said about declawing is someone's cousins, brother, sister in laws mother's friend stoies. Very few first person stories, and I've seen and met thousand's of cat owner's over the years, many with declawed cats. Declawing their cats have enabled them to keep and love their pet. It's not meant to take the place of training, but sometimes no amount of training will do the trick. I would never advocate declawing just to declaw, as I wouldn't advocate any surgery just to do it (and I do spend a lot of time with my foster kittens in the training of using scratching posts, and am usually successful, but then I get them very young before bad habits start)..but after trying the best, a person has to do what is right for them. That said, I have seen much quicker recovery and less bleeding in the laser surgery. If I were having to declaw a pet, I would go with the laser, even though it's more expensive.