If I buy soft claws (Nail Caps) for my kitten would he still need a scratching post or something…?
Thursday, August 19th, 2010 at
6:18 am
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The soft paws are a good alternative if you are reluctant to declaw (I agree, by the way). Don’t let someone convince you it’s "no big deal", your instincts about it are right.
That being said, the soft paws should stay on about 4 to 6 weeks. If you replace them as they fall off, as opposed to waiting until they all fall off, it’s not too bad – one toe here, one toe there.
It still may be a good idea to get your cat a nice TALL, STURDY scratching post, or even a cat tree, as he will still go through the motions of scratching, and if one cap has happened to fall off, it will damage what he is scratching. Even declawed cats still go through the motions of scratching.
The key to the scratching post is tall and sturdy – sounds like your couch right? He will need an equivalent or superior substitute that is more tempting to scratch. One that he can stretch up on and really dig his claws into.
There are also several products on the market to prtect your furniture until he decides it is no longer a desirable surface. Sticky paws is a double sided tape designed not to harm your furniture, but he will not like the sticky texture. There are also hard clear plastic covers to protect the corners of the furniture.
If you do see him scratching at the furniture, the best thing to do is to quickly direct him to an acceptable scratching surface. Good luck!
No.. it’s not a good idea. Since kittens’ nails grow.. they will fall off when he attempts to scratch again. Try putting sticky paper with the sticky side out where he scratches.. contact paper is great… Cats absolutely hate anything sticky. He’ll stop. Although the appearance on your sofa will look weird.. for a time. This will train him to stop scratching where he is not supposed to. Buy a scatching post. Everytime he wants to scratch, pick him up and take him to the scratching post. He will get the hint soon enough.
They work like a charm. When my husband told me about the nail caps named "soft claws" I was very skeptical. Luckily, they half-way affordable so we decided to give them a shot, b/c there was no way I was gonna allow him to have my babies declawed! We have two cats who love to claw furniture, carpet, bedding, and just about anything that’s squishy. The caps were easy to apply (a two person job) and both of my cats were used to them within only a few minutes!!! My cat’s didn’t even notice the difference, they just went about their business. After three monthes of peace I can safely say that the caps worked awsome! My cats are fine with nail caps on; they still behave the same way they ordinarily would. It’s the perfect solution to saving your furniture and/or having your animal declawed. (Your cat will still stretch and make scratching motions but no damage will occur to your furniture because the claw is covered and protected.) And yes I would recommend keeping a scratching post around just because my cat’s love them, but as a necessity no. You will be able to buy furniture and it stay nice from now on! Amen.
I know some people who swear by the soft claws product
although I my self have never used it, I can tell you about a cat I know who wears soft claws, nail caps
her owner and I are friends, I often times visit her owner and I usually bring my kitten with me
I was concerned that her kitten may be able to scratch my kitten even though she wears the soft claws product
(my kitten is declawed, biggest regret of my life, I feel so guilty for letting myself be talked into it and for putting my kitten through it…he was traumatized! it’s been 6 months since the procedure and it seems he will never be himself again…I only got it done because my landlord’s wife required me to and now, looking back, I wish I would have just moved out rather than cave in to a landlord’s wife who knows squat about maintaining a healthy pet)
so before I allowed her kitten to go near my kitten I did a little playing with her kitten to see if the cat could still scratch
I let the cat wrap her front legs around me and attempt to scratch my arm:
even with her claws extended, it felt like being rubbed with an eraser
I was amazed that this cat was unable to scratch me!
I talked to her owner about the product, apparently soft claws nail caps can fall off after about a month of use but that after a month you should take all the nail caps off to trim or file the claws then re-apply fresh nail caps
she also said that it can time a couple tries before your cat gets used to you applying the nail caps, and that the first time she put them on her kitten it took a few hours because she’d put one on then the cat would get tired of standing still so they’d take a break before she put the next one on, but now she says the cat is used to it and she can apply all of the nail caps in under an hour once a month!
I believe it is money and time well spent
however, even though your cat will be unable to scratch your couch, you should still supply the cat with a place to mark it’s territory
cats have scent glands in their paws and scratching is not only a way of sharpening their claws but also a way of releasing their scent
even after a cat is declawed, or after nail caps have been applied, the cat will still want to mark their territory and a scratch post or a cat tree is the perfect way to do just that
here are some links to great cat furniture:
http://thatpetplace.com/pet/cat/info/22515/category.web
http://www.petco.com/Shop/petco_ProductList_PC_productlist_Nav_294_N_23+104+30+4881.aspx
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/pet_supplies.cfm?c=3261+10345
http://www.petsmart.com/family/index.jsp?categoryId=2858562&cp=2767033&fbc=1&fbn=Taxonomy%7CFurniture&clickid=topnav_dropdown1_link6
remember when picking out cat furniture that cats like being high up, and that a good view is important
my cat has a tree that is 7 feet tall with 6 levels to climb or lay on, near the fourth level is a window with a bird feeder outside, and on every level is a toy
also, if you care to read product reviews of soft claws, written by the people who’ve used them, visit these links:
http://www.petco.com/product/9556/Soft-Claws-Nail-Caps-for-Cats-Take-Home-Kits.aspx#details
http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2754502&cp&kw=soft+claws&origkw=soft+paws&sr=1#RatingsDetail
hope this helps!!
nail-caps — never heard of them, lol.
But my guess, would be if they aren’t secured in with glue, or something to fastene them tightly, they’ll fall off when the kitties nails begin to grow — as they will get to short.
We find, that this works WONDERFULLY for protecting your furniture — as we also went through the sofa put-to-sleep. Sniff, sob.. I’m so sorry buddy! That dawg-on cat!
If you get a long strip of tape, and put it on your piece of furniture that the cat is scratching on. They, put Vicks/Vix, SP, on the tape. They HATE the smell.
OR, if there’s something the cat’s CHEWING on or maybe the vix just doesn’t work where the scratching is, get a spray-bottle with some water, and add a little bit of hot-sauce/garlic. They HATE this.
I’d continue providing your cat with a scratching post. If you are finding it hard to get one that is sturdy or not expensive, try looking at your local animal shelters. They often sell off excess equiptment that is not needed, for a much cheaper price.
If Ralph Lauren or Tommy Hilfiger come out with a couch that had shredded sides people would pay $$MEGA$$ bucks for it, just like they do for faded, torn jeans. So, I’m like, WHATEVER!
We played manicurist & glued the Soft Claws on our tabbies. They did not like them. They still scratched & started biting more. One of our cats had a pee-pee "accident" afterward which was her way of saying, "Not for all the tuna in the ocean will I wear these fake nails." They chewed at them & most had come off within a few weeks. It was worth a try.
Honestly, I would NOT recommend them. They sound more amazing than they are & they didn’t make things better or save my couch. Also, they’re really expensive. For $20, I’ll go get my own nails done!
BEST BET: Clip your cat’s nails often. When claws are short & straight across they can’t hook into fabric as easily. Grooming scissors are cheap (under $5) and you only have to buy them once.