Soft paws

[buttercup132]

Are they cruel??
My mom wants to get Hank declawed but I know its cruel and that it feels so weird for them and I'm trying to talk her out of it belive me!
She found soft paws but I'm not sure they still look kind of uncomfortable.
I dont see the point hes not even scratching the furniture he has 4 big scratching activity centers anddosent bother with the furniture so its pointless to do any..*sigh* I wish my mom would relise how mean it is.

[BC_MoM]

Can you explain to me about declawing cats? I know nothing about them, but have always said if I ever do I will make sure it's declawed because I'm terrified of their nails. (I am preparing to be lectured about declawing!)

But since I know nothing about it, I'm not aware of the negatives of it....

Hoping you and your family make the right decision!

What are soft paws?

[wolf_Q]

Declawing cats is not just removing the nail, they remove the entire last joint of the toe. It's like having the last joint of all of your fingers chopped off. It is very painful for the cat. Here's a link with more info http://www.sniksnak.com/cathealth/declaw.html

I'll admit I have never had a cat, but I've groomed tons of them. A declawed cat is a lot more likely to bite as you've removed their first mode of defense (claws). I've been bitten by a cat once and scratched a billion times.......trust me, a scratch isn't NEARLY as bad as a bite. Clipping nails is very simple and I've never heard anything about soft paws hurting them. If I were to ever get a cat and their scratching became a problem I would use soft paws.

[buttercup132]

Declawing is like having your knuckles up removed. Now imagine how painful that would be and uncomfotable especially if you use them for defence and day to day tasks.

Soft claws are caps the go over the cats nails and are glued on.
They do look neat I must say, like the nails have been painted.

[BC_MoM]

Oh, wow.. I didn't know they remove the joint as well! I guess imagining it now, a bite would be worse than a scratch.. thanks for the link, Amy! I'll have to read more about it.

Those Soft Paws look cute.. but I'm not sure I'd want to glue something onto my (cat).

[Uabassoon]

We've used them before with Tuna, Pocky and Tibby and have never had any problems. We don't use them anymore as they are older now and have been trained that humans and furniture are NOT scratching posts. I didn't care so much about the furniture but when Tuna was a kitten he thought it was fun to climb up your legs! I would highly recomment them, it does take a few days for the kitty to get used to them. Once they get used to it they don't even realize that they have them on.

[Sevaede]

We've used them before with Tuna, Pocky and Tibby and have never had any problems. We don't use them anymore as they are older now and have been trained that humans and furniture are NOT scratching posts. I didn't care so much about the furniture but when Tuna was a kitten he thought it was fun to climb up your legs! I would highly recomment them, it does take a few days for the kitty to get used to them. Once they get used to it they don't even realize that they have them on.

Indeed! Also, the soft paws fall off eventually due to nail growth and whatnot.

[CultureJunky]

If Hank has plenty to scratch on he won't scratch furniture. You can add catnip to his scratching areas and other smells that may attract him more.
He is just a baby, he's bound to scratch, it's his nature, it's like telling a human baby they musn't suck on anything when they're teething!
There are other ways to distract him when he starts to claw something he shouldn't, like getting him to play.
De-clawing is barbaric and is BANNED in many countries, it's disgusting and if you're not prepared to have scratched furniture then don't have a cat. And as you've pointed out as Hank doesn't touch the furniture there is no point.
I would try to persuade her to use soft paws, there is also something called sticky paws which stops them from clawing things, you can find out about it on the net.
Sorry if I sound abrupt but cats should not be declawed.
If there is one thing that really pisses me off is people who have pets then complain about smells, fur, mess etc. It's like having kids and expecting no dirty nappies or toys everywhere.
I am not directing this to you or your mother just pointing out my opinion, and hopefully giving some advice against declawing.
And I know there are a lot of people on here who would agree with me.
I hope you find a solution and that Hank isn't declawed, there are many other options

[buttercup132]

If Hank has plenty to scratch on he won't scratch furniture. You can add catnip to his scratching areas and other smells that may attract him more.
He is just a baby, he's bound to scratch, it's his nature, it's like telling a human baby they musn't suck on anything when they're teething!
There are other ways to distract him when he starts to claw something he shouldn't, like getting him to play.
De-clawing is barbaric and is BANNED in many countries, it's disgusting and if you're not prepared to have scratched furniture then don't have a cat. And as you've pointed out as Hank doesn't touch the furniture there is no point.
I would try to persuade her to use soft paws, there is also something called sticky paws which stops them from clawing things, you can find out about it on the net.
Sorry if I sound abrupt but cats should not be declawed.
If there is one thing that really pisses me off is people who have pets then complain about smells, fur, mess etc. It's like having kids and expecting no dirty nappies or toys everywhere.
I am not directing this to you or your mother just pointing out my opinion, and hopefully giving some advice against declawing.
And I know there are a lot of people on here who would agree with me.
I hope you find a solution and that Hank isn't declawed, there are many other options

Dont worry I totally agree. I think its stupid thta my mom complains about nails..a DUH its a cat it has them its a kitten instead of using its teeth for teethhing it does it with its nails.
She thinks its a good idea because she has talked to other people who have done it and they said that they love it.

[catnapper]

Why not just trim his nails? By the time you get around to gluing the caps on you could have trimmed his nails. Much cheaper!

Trimmed nails, 5 minutes a day of training on scratching posts, and scratching posts strategically placed throughout the home ensures no scratching.

[Freedom]

Catnip on the scratching posts is great, I have done that.

And double sided sticky tape on the the furniture and other places NOT to scratch also works great. I bought some mounting tape at the craft store last time, couldn't find the tape. It works fine.

If he is not scratching the furniture, what the heck is bothering your mom? The scent glands are NOT removed, so the cat can still leave her/his mark on the scratching post as 'owned' territory.

I have one cat with front paws declawed - her first owner did that when she was a kitten (I am her third owner! first oe died; second moved into elderly housing where only 1 cat was permitted, and she had 2.) Her front paws look so strange compared to the other cats here. She still jumps and climbs on the bed, sofa, and cat perches here. She is a bit less stable in her antics because she can't hold on. Her paws are short and awkward looking.

Good luck talking your mom OUT of the horrible idea.

[moosmom]

Why not just trim his nails? By the time you get around to gluing the caps on you could have trimmed his nails. Much cheaper!

Trimmed nails, 5 minutes a day of training on scratching posts, and scratching posts strategically placed throughout the home ensures no scratching.

Great advice!! Another thing to note is that it is SO inhumane, declawing is outlawed in Europe. I only wish the US would follow suit.

[momcat]

When we first got Groucho he was 7 weeks old. One of the first things I talked to our vet about was declawing (the first thing was neutering). Our vet explained the process and it was very clear that she strongly disapproves of the practice. Dr explained that cats claws are their first line of defense and even indoor only kitties do manage to get out at times, the cat is permanently maimed, their balance is effected, and it could give rise to other problems. Add to that the pain the poor cat must endure as a result. Declawing MUST be stopped!!!

[Miss Z]

Declawing is very cruel and I'm glad it's banned here. I'd never seen those soft-paws before, I personally think they look hideous but I suppose it's a lot better than being declawed.

I hope you can manage to talk your mum out of the idea Alicia, I know you'll try your best.

[Catty1]

Your mom may not know that the first joint in the cat's toe is removed. Tell her that!

And her friends LOVE it? What does the CAT think???

Do try the catnip on scratching posts. I mean, if Hank isn't scratching where he's not supposed to - what is the problem???

If she DOES insist on talking to the vet, ask her to have the vet explain the whole thing (you can tell her that you want to know!). That might be enough to stop her!

Good luck!