An alternative to declawing?

[Adrienne]

I am not trying to start another debate on declawing. I know how most people feel about it on this site, so that is not the point of this thread.
I just wanted to know what else people have uses besides Soft Paws or how they felt about Soft Paws. I didn't have the best luck with them, so I was just wondering about other alternatives. Any suggestions or insight would be great. Thanks!

[coaster]

What kind of a problem are you having, Adrienne?

[Adrienne]

Originally Posted by timskitties

What kind of a problem are you having, Adrienne?

No problems yet. I have not even gotten my baby- tomorrow ! I just wanted to know about other options. I tried Soft Paws. I really like the idea, but I just didn't have a good expirence. I just wanted to know what else was out there.

[jessamica8]

This is what was said in another thread:

Originally Posted by Adrienne

We actually tried them, but there was something in either the glue or the actually claw cover themselves that my cat was allergic to. He would cry, and whine a chew his paws. His legs swelled up like sausagues. Declawing was not my first resort it was my last resort.

I've never used Soft Paws, personally, but then I've never needed to. I've got several scratching posts, and when introducing a cat to them, you "show" them how to scratch. If you notice a cat scratching furniture, try to provide a post as close to that spot as possible. When you see the problem behavior, take the cat to the post and put their paws against it, then reward them for using the posts. Try different kinds of posts - some cats prefer carpet (but some may be encouraged to scratch any and all carpet), some prefer sisal, and some won't touch either of those, but respond to cardboard scratchers. Find what your cat likes. If it is an older cat, you can also try spraying catnip on the post, initially, to attract them to it and encourage them to use it. (However, catnip shouldn't be used with kittens, and some cats never really respond to it.) I also clip claws whenever they get long or sharp. Luckily for me, my cats know where they can or can't scratch. Playing is playing, and my two wrestle all the time (sometimes they get really noisy and rowdy) but neither of them has ever come out of a play session wounded by claws. If the animals are actually hurting each other, the claws need to be kept shorter, or the animals separated. A typical "play" session should not cause injuries, if it does, there is likely another problem that needs to be addressed.

Additionally, unless you do a 4-way declaw, you may still sustain injuries. A front declaw might be even more defensive than non-declaw (often happens) but can still attack with their back claws. (Think of the "bunny kick" you see when kitties are playing with their toys.) I'd personally be terrified of having a 4-way declaw around a dog, because the cat has virtually no defense against an animal that is much bigger and stronger than it. I worry more about the cat than the dog in cat-to-dog aggression, but that's just me.

Good luck!

EDIT: Oops, I see the user posted while I was typing this. I will still leave the qoute in for others reading the thread.

[coaster]

Adrienne - here's hoping your new baby doesn't bring you to the point where you even need to consider it. Cats do NEED to claw, and if they have something they PREFER to claw other than your furnishings, they will leave your furnishings alone.

Show us some pics of your new kitty!

[Adrienne]

Originally Posted by timskitties

Show us some pics of your new kitty!

You may regret saying that . I am going to take so many pictures of her!

[spacemonkey]

I don't think it's been mentioned yet, but get into the habit of weekly nail clippings. My kittens nails have never been allowed to grow long and consequently, they nearly never scratch anything (the only time they do, I think, is more to stretch upwards than to really use their claws).

[catlover7731]

I am really glad you are asking. I am not an expert but besides soft paws there is lots of other things you can do. You can buy lots of cat scratchers and cat trees for the cat to scratch on instead of furniture. Also they sell products , sprays and things to use so the cat wont want to scratch on the furniture, I have seen these at DR. Foster and Smith. Declawing may seem simple to us, but a cat can never tell you how it feels to have his claws removed. Please before you declaw look around and gather some info. and Ask anything please

[jessamica8]

Originally Posted by spacemonkey

I don't think it's been mentioned yet, but get into the habit of weekly nail clippings. My kittens nails have never been allowed to grow long and consequently, they nearly never scratch anything (the only time they do, I think, is more to stretch upwards than to really use their claws).

Hehe, I love the scratch and stretch - so cute!

Just wanted to throw in that I think it differs by cat. Jinx's claws get trimmed every week to two, depending on when he needs it (he's never much of a scratcher, so I clip when they start feeling sharp). With Tilak, she is more likely to scratch after I clip her claws (I guess she feels the need to resharpen them ). So if I clipped hers that regularly, I'd have more of a problem with her scratching - I only clip hers when they get long enough to snag.

Either way, they are both very good about using their posts/trees.
So Jinx scratches less with clipped claws, but Tilak scratches more. - Just figure out what works best with your cat - but regular claw clippings are definately important! And make sure to notice patterens like that - if your cat scratches less after a clipping, then clip frequently, if they scratch more after a clipping, then clip when needed, but not so frequently.

[Heather102180]

Oliver was excellent at using his scratchng post. He would scratch and then look at me for a treat. He knew he'd get a treat if he used his post so he used that all the time. I say reward your kitty everytime you catch him using the post. Hopefully this works.