Declawing alternatives?

Question

I want to avoid declawing the new kitty I am getting soon. So far, I have two alternative options coming to mind, but I wanted to ask how well they work. Obviously I don't expect my apartment to surivive kittenhood and beyond unscathed, but I, like any reasonable person, I want to keep damage to a minimum (especially if I can avoid it).

Soft Paws--the little claw covers that you glue on to let them scratch, but not cause damage....how well do these work? Will I have a hard time putting them on? Would a vet put the first set on for me so I know how to do it right? Any disadvantages?

Scratch Post-some people say that cats won't scratch your furniture or whatever if they have a scratch post....but how can you make sure that they know to scratch the POST and not anything else? :-)

I want the cat to be healthy, happy, and well-behaved. I really do not want to declaw, especially if these alternatives work pretty well! If anyone knows of other non-surgical alternatives, please let me know!

PS-This is my first cat! Any other advice would be appreciated.

Answer 1

I'm so glad that you're interested in getting off to the best possible start with your new kitten! You're definitely right to want to avoid declawing - it's very hard on the poor cats, and it really isn't necessary, since cats can be trained not to scratch the furniture.

Nail caps work very well, although it may take some time for some cats to get used to them initially. The kitten may pull them off at first, but if you just replace them as they come off he or she should adjust to them within a few weeks at most. 2 of my cats never pulled any of the caps off, 2 of them pulled some of the caps off occasionally for the first couple of weeks. The important thing is to distract the kitten with play, pets, or food for 10 minutes after the caps have been applied, to give the glue a chance to dry. If the kitten is persistent about removing them, you can dab a bit of bitter apple spray or cream (from the pet store) on the caps to discourage chewing. Once the kitten has adjusted to them, they should last about 4-6 weeks per application. If the caps don't fall off after 2 months & you notice the nails getting long, just cut the tips off of the caps, leaving little vinyl tubes over the nails. Flex the little tubes to break up the glue, and they should come off.

If you're used to handling a cat's paws it's relatively easy to put the nail caps on, but since you're new to it I'd suggest calling around to find a veterinarian or groomer who can apply them for you and show you how to do it. http://www.softpaws.com has an FAQ page with lots of good information.

http://www.catscratching.com has lots of good information about cat scratching habits, choosing a post, getting a cat to use a post instead of the furniture, etc. It also contains a link that explains how to trim the sharp tips off of your kitten's claws to reduce damage. Once a cat is trained to use the posts & not the furniture, trimming the claws is usually sufficient to prevent any accidental damage. While your kitten is in the young & hyper zooming & climbing stage, if you don't choose to use softpaws you may want to consider using a slipcover on your couch to protect it from accidental snags.

Here's some good articles on preparing for your new kitten:
http://www.littlebigcat.com/index.php?action=library&act=show&item=beforeyougetakitten
http://www.littlebigcat.com/index.php?action=library&act=show&item=basecamphowtoprepareforyournewcat

To learn more about cat care & behavior, I would suggest going to the pet store, library, or bookstore & getting a good book on cat behavior & care. The most helpful cat book I've found so far is 'Good Owners, Great Cats' by Brian Kilcommons and Sarah Wilson. http://www.amazon.com/Good-Owners-Great-Brian-Kilcommons/dp/0446518077
Anything by Amy Shojai or Wendy Christensen should be good, too.

Best Wishes!

Answer 2

Rub catnip on the scratching post and draw a shoestring (or something similar) around it to play with him so he knows that the scratching post is his and it's OK.
Use a rolled up newspaper to discipline him when he scratches something else and carry him to his scratching post.

Keep the claws trimmed!!!. That is the best. If you don't know how, ask someone with a cat to show you, or ask on Yahoo! Answers. You can use a regular finger nail clipper but it is MOST IMPORTANT that you hold the claw up to the light to find the blood vessel in the claw first. VERY painful if you clip too much and hit the blood vessel. It sounds scary but it's not when you get used to doing it. Just do the very tips to blunt them at first until you get more confident. Soft Paws are OK but can easily cause infections if not used exactly as directed.

Getting 2 kitties helps the single kitty from being bored thus from being more destructive. And you have 2x the love!

Read the info on this website about declawing http://cats.about.com/cs/declawing/a/declawing.htm
then decide if you really want to declaw him!

Answer 3

I use soft paws on my cat. I apply them myself, but I have to pin her down. You have to trim the claws prior to application, then apply a bit of superglue-like stuff to the inside of the claw cover, then press on the cat's paw to spread the claws so you can slide the cover over the trimmed claw. It's not hard, but if your cat isn't very docile you might get some...feedback. A vet would totally do this for you, and the charge is usually around $10 (for a total of $20ish). The claws last 2-4 weeks depending on the cat and how long you were able to hold the claw in place while the glue dried before the cat flung itself away. My cat bites about half of them off within 3 weeks.

If you're going to do it at home, make sure you know what you're doing when you trim the claws (ask your vet for a lesson, and get the scissor-style clippers), buy the right size (probably the smallest for a kitten) and do it in a small room with the door closed...there may be a lot of catch and release. It doesn't hurt the cat at all, and it makes furniture destruction impossible. Plus, it's kind of cute to see the cat trotting around with little multicolored toes.

My cat hates catnip, so I've never been able to entice it to use a post. If your kitten likes catnip, a post/scratching carpet/cardboard scratcher could work (trial and error will let you know which one kitty prefers). Have fun!

Answer 4

You've had lots of answers, I'll be brief, (maybe). Do not declaw. never heard of Soft paws, wish I had. Squirt bottle with water. If you catch the cat doing something he/she shouldn't give him a quick squirt with a tone of voice that shows you mean it. NO! Don't screetch. LOTS of scratching posts. If you find the cat clawing the furniture, take the cat to the post and show it how to claw it, giving it a very nice tone of voice and praise. I have one of three cats that kept clawing the GOOD COUCH! He is a little short in the brain department but when I found him finally clawing the post, set up by the couch, I praised him like I did the other cats, who just knew to use it. I gave them all a treat, giving him an extra. Finally, he does not claw the furniture. He is still stupid and clumsy but I love him. He very handsome too!

Answer 5

Thank you for not de-clawing, and for having a sensible attitude when it comes to cat scratching in general.

I personally haven't used Soft Paws, but have heard very good things about them. If your cat doesn't mind you touching their feet, you probably won't have that hard of a time putting them on. A co-worker of mine recently tried them - I gave him the declaw lecture and opted for those instead. He said that one or two fell off in the first night, but after he had re-applied them they stayed on. That was just about a month ago, I believe. If you aren't comfortable trying to apply the first set, your vet or a groomer can show you how to do it. The package contains 40 nail caps, comes with the special non-toxic glue, and costs about $18. Each set lasts about 6 weeks, and you only have to put them on the front paws, so a package can last quite a while.

Scratching posts are an excellent option as well. They don't stop the scratching behavior, but rather provides them with an acceptable area to do so. You may have an occasional scratch on a different surface, but once they learn that the post is for them, they will return to it again and again. Most cats prefer the sisal rope texture, so that may be your best bet. My female cat, though, won't touch the sisal rope post. I actually just got a carpeted post last night and it seems that she prefers that texture much more. If you have Soft Paws, I'm not sure if they'll try using the posts.

The most important thing you can do, though, is to make sure their nails are properly trimmed. I do my cats nails every 2-3 weeks and it keeps digging/scratching to a minimum. If you're using Soft Paws, you'll have to trim the nails between each re-apply of the caps.

*edit*
Since cat's shed the outer lining of their nails quite often, the caps will fall off eventually. They can't cause infection. The only reason that fake nails, or covers, on humans causes infections is because we typically don't take them off. They often become loose enough for water to get underneath, but not fall off, and that causes a fungal growth. Then when the acrylic nails are "filled", the water gets trapped.

Answer 6

I haven't witnessed the soft-claws in action but I hear they're good.

Scratch posts usually work, but you need to make them attractive to the kitty - get one with a nice toy hanging from it and encourage her to play with it. Putting catnip on the post will also help! If kitty DOES start clawing furniture (not all of them do) get a sample of what she likes to claw to cover the scratch post with, and put her paws on it to encourage her to scratch that instead. Difficult if she likes to scratch wood, but not impossible! They usually like furnishing fabrics (sofas and curtains). At the same time discourage kitty from clawing your furniture by removing her with a sharp NO.

Start kitten off early with these techniques and the likelihood is there won't be a problem. I haven't had a problem with any of my cats and neither have many of the people I know. Y might want to keep her out of certain rooms as you would with a dog, like the room with your sofa in!

I can guarantee that it is not necessary to declaw. You're getting a cat and are obviously aware of the possibility of what might happen with their claws - if nothing works (unusual) you'll just have to deal with it, declawing isn't one of the options.

Chalice

Answer 7

my favorite training method is the spray bottle. The nail caps are very effective- don't know about the scratching post, but you can also try putting double-sided tape down on places and furniture your cat seems to like scratching. But the spray bottle is great for when you are home- just a quick squirt usually stops them in their tracks and it doesn't usually take more than a couple weeks before they know if they do it they'll get a squirt. It has worked wonders with my nine since they all have their little quirks. It's painless and pretty cheap.

Answer 8

Buy your kitten a scratching post, sheets of corrugated cardboard or even a carpet sample. Then every time you see them begin to scratch somewhere they shouldn't, take them to the post and gently place their paws on it. They will soon get the idea. When they get it right, praise them and make a fuss of them as cats learn best from positive reinforcement.

You can also keep the end of their claws trimmed. Your vet will be happy to show you how to do it yourself at home.

As this is your first cat, I would highly recommend that you purchase a book called "Do Cats Need Shrinks" by animal behaviourist Peter Neville. It's compiled of his case histories and I've found it to be the most useful cat book I have ever purchased. I've posted a link about the book and where to buy it if you are interested.

http://www.pets.f9.co.uk/shop/media/dcns.html
http://www.pets.f9.co.uk/shop/

Answer 9

Lots of good answers, one more thing. When you buy your scratching posts, be sure they are a different material than your carpet.

This will really help so the kitty is not as confused. You can spray a tiny bit of cat nip on them. That is what my vet recommended I do, and it worked. Good luck with your kitty.

Answer 10

Don't declaw your cat. That's just my advice. My sister has the brother to my female cat, I didn't declaw and she did. She moved and now wishes she hadn't so she could let him go outside more. Unless your cat is always in the house, I would advise against it.