Soft paws

[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.