Softpaws are too expensive!?

Question

My boyfriend and I adopted a kitten with a mutated paw from being put down. We have enough for groceries, rent, and kitty essentials. However, we honestly have no money to spare at the end of the month.

I would never declaw my kitten because its completely inhumane, but we can't afford the softpaws ($20 for being puncture wound free for a month is a lot). What other options are there?

In addition to what I wrote earlier.

We have enough money for essential stuff (HUGE bag of Meow Mix, big tub of Fresh Step, pink liter box with cute heart scooper, two bowls for food and water, a pink fluffy bed thing, and a scratching table thing). I made her a few cat toys and bought her a laser pointer so she can chase it around. So the ESSENTIALS isn't a problem.

She doesn't scratch furniture, I could actually care less about the furniture because I'm in college and have all crappy wood stuff. The main thing is like when I'm trying to sleep I wear like a thin tank top and she'll step all over my body and will retract her claws only some of that time (she can't at all with the mutated paw).

Or when she wants attention she'll climb up on your lap, but in doing so she'll dig her claws into your leg.

I have old nail clippers from when I had two rabbits, and I already know how to clip them. But there's a weird question: can I file them afterward??? O.o

ALSO! Thank you for your responses!

A lot of them are regarding intentional clawing, but its just accidental because she's just a kitten. I always yell "OWWW" because it really does hurt, and I know she doesn't mean to.

I'm just trying to find ways to make her claws more user-friendly.

Answer 1

Keeping her claws trimmed will definitely help. I believe it's okay to file them because someone asked that question on here the other day.

http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AnEodN4qS0iiUMcbXSpjDCBJBgx.;_ylv=3?qid=20070813085915AA2Q96X

As you say, she isn't being naughty, the scratching is accidental when she's trying to get close to you. The only suggestion I can come up with is, to wear something with long sleeves in bed, or perhaps see if you can persuade her to sleep in her own bed (in your bedroom) at night. Do you have a cosy blanket or old towel that you could put on your lap when you're sitting on the sofa? She's probably too small to be able to jump straight onto the sofa, which may be why she climbs your leg when she wants to get onto your lap. Perhaps if you were to sit on the floor when she wants affection, that might save your legs, or is there anything that you could place next to the sofa that she could use as a step instead of using your legs as a ladder?

As she gets older she will have a better understanding of claw manners and will know when to keep them retracted.

Enjoy your kitten, hope you have lots of happy years together ahead of you.

Answer 2

Try to look on sites like EBay or Overstock.com - you can usually find them cheaper than in the stores. also try to stock up right after the holidays - I got a pack of red and green ones for $3.50 after Christmas. Other than that, teach the kitten that the behavior is not acceptable. If she scratches on the furniture, double-sided tape works well to discourage it.

If it comes down to getting rid of the kitten or declawing it, at least consider the declawing. Some of the best and nicest cats I know are declawed.


With the added information - keep her nails trimmed. You can file them, or you can use a dremel if you have one. They do sell dremels specifically for nails, but they're the axact same thing and much more expensive. Maybe you can try to put the softpaws on just the mutated paw - that will cut down on the expense, but still cover the biggest problem area. You could also sleep in something a little thicker until she learns when she should retract her claws.

Answer 3

I have had more than 10 kittens/cats over the past years, and never had a problem with scratching. You must 1. trim his claws once every two weeks with a nail clipper, just the very pointy edge, not too deep, where there are blood vessels! 2. teach it not to scratch where he is not supposd to: when you see him scratching something he must not, grab him gently from the neck, like his mother, say No, and put him on a straw rug or scratching post. Repeat a few times, consistently, every time he tries to scratch where he shouldn't. Encourage him and praise him when he scratches the straw rug (it is important to give him the alternative). He should get the idea pretty fast.

Answer 4

I have 3 cats, and no destroyed furniture, and all have claws. I've heard that not using your hands as toys helps to keep scratches away. Get scratching posts that have carpet, sisal and cardboard (when you can afford it), because that will give them variation, and they find that satisfying, at least mine do!

Also, I just got a regular nail clippers and keep their claws trimmed, but be careful to just cut off the tip, and stay away from the red part of the nail, cutting that will hurt and the kitty will be reluctant to have them trimmed again. The most important thing is to be consistent and the cat will get used to it. One of my girls treats it like a manicure! My boy, however, I have to straddle him to get his done because we took him to a pet store who cut him too close and made him bleed, so he fights it now, but he was really good about letting us do it before then. There is a special clippers you can get for cat nails, but mine prefer the regular clippers humans use, it makes it less scary if it looks like the ones I use on my own nails.

Good luck!

Answer 5

These are some great ideas. I'll just add some thrift options: For cheap scratching posts/pads, check thrift stores. We even found a used cat tree out by the trash (not in, but next to) and "rescued" it. You can re-cover severely scratched portions with sisal rope (glue and/or nail it down) or carpet scraps, and then you have a "new" cat tree for next to nothing. We've found several smaller cat scratching posts at thrift shops. Your local craigslist.org or freecycle (http://www.freecycle.org/findagroup/) will also usually have several cat trees up for cheap or free.

You can also sometimes find the cardboard scratcher refills in 2-packs for cheaper than buying the scratchers as a whole, and all that's missing is a box to go around it, which you don't need.

Make your own scratching pads with old carpet scraps -- try turning them upside down so that the BACK of the carpet is up for the cat to scratch. (If the carpet needs more heft, tack it around a piece of plywood.) Try an old sisal doormat. Make your own scratching posts with blocks of wood and sisal rope and/or carpet backs.

Answer 6

They work for both cats and dogs!!!! My friend told me about them and I asked on here, this was the best response. .. Best Answer - Chosen By You NeiNeisMeow's response.... Softpaws work pretty well on most cats. I found the trick though is using a different superglue than what is provided. I found the best superglue to be is a 3m Super Glue Gel. MUCH STRONGER than the crap they give you in the package of the softpaws. Two of my kitties wear softpaws and at first they were coming off kinda alot, I was getting disappointed. But these kitties are VERY YOUNG (under 6 months). They run around like crazy so once they slow down the soft paws won't come off as much. I notice they tend to get stuck on carpetting and they'll pull them off if it's close to the time they're supposed to come off anyway. They say they stay on for 4-6 weeks. I think they stay on for about a month... but lately longer with the new super glue. I tried the soft paws super glue on a craft project awhile ago and noticed it sucked really bad so that's how I figured to switch the superglue I was using on the softpaws and bam! better results. You need two people to put them on though. Someone to hold kitty and someone to cut the nail and fill the cap. Also make sure you cut the nail up and down not side to side to prevent splitting and fraying. My cat's don't seem to mind their caps. You should look on Ebay for good prices. The main problem I have with these are that there is only one company making these nailcaps and they are SOOO OVER PRICED!!! $20?? For a product that cost them a few pennies to produce? My God. If they made them more resonably priced then people would keep up with them rather than declawing. The company that makes them SUCKS! I also emailed them photos of my kitties wearing their product because they have a photo gallery for cats wearing them and they never put my cats up!!! This was months ago! I am so bitter about that. The kitty on the left wears pink soft claws. So Cute! Oh yeah after you fill the cap with the superglue take a pin stick it in the cap and rub the glue around to ensure the whole area is covered (This whole process really doesn't take as long as it sounds!) --------------------------------------... Your Rating: Thanks for all the info!!

Answer 7

Good for you!! You saved a sweet little being and she will be a loving wonderful family member the rest of her life. Get a good scratching post, if you can't afford one right away get a cardboard scratcher, they are at all the stores. Cheap. I sprinkled catnip over it and Cessan would sit on that cardboard and sniff and scratch. When you get a scratching post rub the catnip on it and show her how to use it. Take her front paws and move them top to botton like a cat would scratch. Don't waste money on liquid catnip spray - frankly it smelled so bad Cessan wouldn't go near the post.
You can see on each claw where the red blood vessel ends clip just ahead of it so it doesn't bleed. I leave a good margin and clip more often. To keep kitty relaxed and quiet use a trick I found watching a nature program. Take 2 pincher type clothes pins and clip them on the scruff of the neck between the shoulder blades where the mommy cat would carry her. Her natural instinct is to relax. Pupils get big and they settle down.
To save lots of money in vet bills for future illnesses as your cat gets older, like diabetes, renal failure, urinary infections etc, and to save money on food now LOTS of money please read the link I am going to give you. There are some excellent low price canned foods that are high protein and low carbohydrate (under 10%). I know people will jump in here and say that I am wrong and you should feed dry so I will give you my entire story and the links will back up what I say.
Good Luck, You will find so much love from your baby. Just give her all the love and cuddling and she will be yours forever.
Feeding a cat a healthy diet is of the utmost importance for the good health of every cat.
Many people feel that dry is the best way to go. Vets feel it is the way to go. Why? Vets are taught very little about nutrition and they are taught what they know by the Pet Food Companies. The companies push dry as it is the very cheapest food in the world to make as they use fillers, vegetable protein and things that cats do not eat in normal life like veggies and fruits. Of course the veggies and fruits are NOT good for human consumption and thus they get it free or for pennies so the big suppliers can get rid of it.
Dry does not keep teeth clean. A cats jaw is made to grab, tear and shred. They have no chewing action. When a cat barfs he throws up the chunks of food. Sometimes the dry shatters but that doesn't rub on the teeth either. A vet told me that she had an elderly cat around 20 who had had wet food her whole life and never had a problem with her teeth, but she had a 7 month old kitten who had to have every tooth pulled since they were so bad he was sick.
Dry food causes diabetes, UTI's, Kidney problems and the list is to long to continue.
The proper food is a diet for an obligate carnivore. Remember you have never seen a lion chasing a biscuit. Your cat needs wet food of good quality. It should be high in protein and under 10% carb. You should not feed your cat fish or seafood more than 1 or 2 meals a week if that much as they become addicted to it and it is high in phosphorous and low in nutritional value.
http://www.geocities.com/jmpeerson/canfo...
Here is a chart of most wet foods. The good and the bad. Look for one that is high in protein and low in carbs. Fancy feast is a good middle of the road one, and the cheaper brands but still following the rule are much better than any dry ever could be. Wellness is on the higher end with higher cost. But you have good food.
It is cheaper to feed a cat the wet as they are filled up faster. Think if you are hungry and eat a bag of potato chips you are soon hungry but if you have a nice piece of chicken you are filled up longer. The same for a cat. I began adding small amount of water and mixing it in good for the meals and now add 1/4 cup water to 1/3 cup wet food. It is now like soup. It keeps the food from drying out and Cessan eats when she wants. She is a grazer and I let her be happy. She gained the weight she needed and then the weight gain stopped. If your cat is over weight he will lose weight on a wet diet.
Here is a link explaining very clearly cat nutrition and care. It is excellent and I think every new cat owner should have to read it first.
http://catinfo.org/ Good luck to you and your sweet kitty.

Answer 8

Just get a $1 nail clipper and clip the clear part of her nails. And, get an inexpensive scratching post later on so in the future she should not need softpaws. My cats have normal cat claws, and they behave just fine. If you take the time to get to know your pet and communicate with them, you don't have to resort to anything mean to "make them behave."

Answer 9

Train the kitten not to claw. Don't encourage it and it will stop. Don't play games that involve claws. Worst thing to do as they cut you as an adult.

I never have money but have a cat. I have never heard of cats needing their claws covered. It's all in the upbringing.

Answer 10

Lots of TLC for him and bandages for you. There's not too much you can do to avoid the occasional scratch. As your kitten matures, he will scratch you less. Be careful how you play with him, as they love to play rough, and they can mistake your playfulness and affection as an invitation to roughhouse. Give him other things to scratch, although my house is full of scratching posts and the like, and my cats have still destroyed my furniture. I am glad you don't want to have him declawed; it is torture. Any vet who declaws cats isn't worth going to.