Cat Owners: Has anyone used this product - Soft Paws

[LynneSin]

Basically, it's an alternative to declawing your cats. From what I've read about it, this product seems like "Lee Press-On-Nails" for cats. Little plastic covers for your cat's claws which will prevent your cat from scratching & clawing and not have to torture your cat with declawing. From what I've read, the Soft Paws even come in different colors to boot and are suppose to be safe for your cat should he/she chew on them.

Anyone have any comments about these things? My sister-in-law has them on her cats, but she tends to swear by some of the corniest stuff.

Anyone use this product or have an opinion on it

http://www.softpaws.com/

[SoCalDem]

1. I ordered some for Willie..They shipped really fast too

BUT.. He's such a wiggleworm, that we were not able to use them.. If Abbie is mellow, try them :)

[LynneSin]

4. I don't think I'd get them for Abbie

I like my battle scars from my kitty.

I have a permament scar now under my right eye from him. Abbie likes to "pet" me - that is rub my face with the pads of his paws. I guess he just wants to return the love I give him.

Well about a week ago he was doing that to me and my cell phone rang. My head jerk just as he was trying to "pet" me and I nabbed a claw right underneath my right eye. For a moment I thought he nailed the eyeball itself. Blood was rushing everyone and I probably will have a scar for life from it.

But it's a love scar

:loveya:

[Bertha Venation]

6. OUCH! Trim his claws.

If you cut off the sharp tips every couple of weeks or so, he can't hurt you (and can't hurt the furniture).

[ldf]

13. But it's a love scar

i see you have the proper life priorities....

:-)

[xultar]

2. I heard that they were a waste of $$$$. I have 4 cats...I was all

ready but I talked to the vet and they are just like glue on fingernails. They don't stay on.

[Skip Intro]

3. Seems like they'd be really uncomfortable for the kitty

Isn't a lot of each claw receeded into a "socket" or something? (I'd be afraid his claw would be extended when I put the "cap" on, and then the cap would prevent his claw from fully receeding.) Maybe that's already allowed for - ? Just doesn't seem like something I'd want to do to my cat.

I have one of those corrougated cardboard trays for my cat. He loves those things. For a while I had two of them in different spots and he used them both. That and a scratching post seem to work well.

You could use a water gun too.

I'd choose all of those things over gluing some plastic to my cat's claws. Of course anything's better than declawing.

Just my two cents.

;-)

(edited for a little clarity)

[Catshrink]

14. I have a spray bottle just for the cats....

when I pick it up, they stop whatever behavior they know is naughty. Mine are pretty good about using the scratching posts -- but it took a bit of squirting and retraining.

[NJCher]

5. owwwww

So sorry to hear about that and I hope you're going to be OK. Ow, ow, ow.

I don't know anything about the tips but you can tell whoever's looking that at least in one situation, the cat only attempts to claw when I'm around. Also just to annoy me or when very in need of attention.


Cher

[neebob]

7. Seems like more trouble than it's worth to me

Like I'm gonna sit there and apply ten of these things to each of three cats every ... how long do they last? Or load all three of them into kitty carriers and take them to the vet that often. Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! Then I can just see them sitting there chewing and chewing and chewing ...

I spose if you have one of those Ragdoll cats that go limp when you pick them up, or your cat's name is Retardozombie or something ...

[FlaGranny]

8. Most of the cats I've had

over the years would have had me bloody from head to toe trying to apply those things. I can't imagine putting them on many cats without first knocking them out with anesthesia. I've tried scratching posts, etc., in the past, and my cats would sometimes use them, but they still preferred the sofa or my new china cabinet.

I've had a few cats who attacked, but they never did damage because they kept their claws retracted. The only two cats who ever "hurt" (not really) me were two who would bite when they got overstimulated. Neither of the biting cats ever used their claws, but, one of them actually could draw blood with her sharp teeth.

One of these biting cats, I never did get to stop. Anything you did made her worse. She trained me to be aware of when she was getting ready to bite, an almost imperceptible twitching of the very tip of her tail.

I have a sound I use for disapproval for dogs and cats. It is a short, very gruff "ah." When my critters hear it, they know I'm serious. This sound eventually cured the second biting cat.

[radwriter0555]

9. We should get some for Oscar...

I think it would help a few of his little 'issues'...

But aside from that, I know one catter who has them on all 3 of her puddy tats; they work GREAT.

[peekaloo]

10. Used them once........my cat walked around as if he were

walking on glass. Found most of them the next day, chewed up and strewn about the house.

Seemed like a waste of moolah and effort. :shrug:

[flamingyouth]

11. We use them on Winky

The first time you put a full set on, you have to have the vet or a groomer do it. But they stay on for at least a week or two (in her case, at least) and then you replace them one at a time.

We've seen no ill effects to her nails or nail beds from them, and she doesn't mind them. She was destroying our couch, plus she'd go under the bed at night and attack the box springs while we were sleeping. The first time, we thought we were having an earthquake. So we went to these and we've been really happy with them.

Our other cats don't need them, fortunately.

[veganwitch]

12. I just clip them and have plenty of scratching posts

But there are alot of people who i know that use them and love them.

But my cats also chew their fingernails so i would be concerned that they would swallow them.

[Flaxbee]

15. Yes, on one of our cats and she was fine...

we got the red ones and they looked great against her dark tortie coloring; we joked about our "glamor puss". It depends on the cat, I think (as with anything) she was quite mellow, and they often stayed on for a month or so. B/c cats shed their claws pretty regularly, there is the need for reapplication.

One of our cats is a major scratcher, I'm seriously considering getting them for her (though she loves her scratching post and I don't want to take that away from her; she'd be incredibly frustrated if she couldn't shred her cosmic kitty box). None of our babes shred furniture, and only one attacks hands; I don't mind the odd scratch now and then but over the summer I looked like I'd stuck my hands in the blender.