There are two ways we can deal with that. We could select rescues that have been declawed, something we would never do to a cat, but we'd be willing to adopt one or two who have been declawed. The other alternative is to get these Soft Paws. Do they really work? How hard is it to put them on? Do cats mind or do they resist? How costly are they in the long run, in other words, in a year's time, about how much do they set you back? How often do you have to replace them?

Thanks a lot for your help.

My friend did all the above with a cat she raised from a kitten, and still it scratched the carpet! So she got Soft Paws, and they worked! However, you must check them weekly, as the claws grow back and the Soft Paws fall off after 4 - 6 weeks. One became imbedded and infected, and if she had only checked them, it would not have happened.

Good luck.

When these two wonderful fellows passed on, I decided to go the the ASPCA and ask if they had any declawed cats. They had two: the younger of the two was a beautiful longhair with hyper thyroid. I figured I could give her a good home because I was used to medicating animals. I think the resident vet knew that there was a problem with this poor creature because they suggested that I take her on as a 'foster' caregiver before permanently adopting her.
Well, this cat proved to be impossible for me to medicate...she would hiss when I patted her head more than a few seconds. Forget about medicating her with a pill gun. She would not eat the pill pocket treats after the first couple times. It turned out that she had one claw that had grown back. I found out that she had been returned by another adopter. Whatever her history, I'm sure it was the kind of sad story that makes declawing cats a moral issue because she had serious behavioral issues. I reluctantly her back to the shelter.

While I was there, I spent some time with the other, older declawed resident named Odessa. I ended up taking her home and she has proven to be as sweet as sugar.
The moral of the story is, I think it is a good thing if a responsible person can give a good home to a rescued declawed cat because they are more vulnerable than cats who have their defenses. But you should go to greater lengths to insure that their personalities have not been affected by the procedure. Ei: The first cat did not like being taken out of her cage and handled. I rationalized that she was just frightened. Then I noticed that her long hair was matted. The vet told me that was becaused she gave the groomer a hard time.Not good signs. On the other hand, Odessa was happy to be held in my arms from the gitgo, and had no issues when I patted her paws.

The soft paws sound like a terrific idea, but please do consider giving a declawed cat a safe (indoor) and loving environment as well.

L

Great idea! Thanks for the reminder.

Soft paws- I've never tried them, but I hear they re good, still perhaps adopting an older cat and using protective furnature covers/combined with tree bark or tree limbs/young dead trees/made into posts would be best, this way you don't have to keep replacing the soft paws, save money on getting a scratching post- good one are $$!- plus you get a calmer more settled pet

That makes no sense. I adopted my last cat from a shelter, she was 10 years old and already declawed. Both declawed and clawed cats get surrendered to shelters and rescues. Just because you adopt a declawed cat doesn't mean the shelter of rescue is going to declaw another one.

Plus little kids go into shelters and see de clawed cats along with clawed, that teaches them that its okay to do, further increasing the trouble. Most de-clawed cats in shelters are there because they did something, bit someone/used litter box wrong, THAT kind of cat is the least one suitable to go in a home with young children IMO- most cats in shelters that DO get homes and satistically 70% end up being PTS, go to homes with children..

Also I have worked at a shelter, no pay job as a dog walker and I know kids love to go their to have Mommy and Daddy buy them a furry friend.

Sorry for rambling. That whole thing just really ticked me off.

As for the soft paws, they do work but you need to know your cat first. Some cats really tolerate them well. Most cats get really irritated when you put them on, but once they are on they don't notice them. Other cats hate them and chew on them until they come off. I, personally, have never had problems. And actually, you don't always have to keep putting them on. My sister-in-law only had to put them on her cats for about 3 months. The whole time, whenever the cats would act like they were scratching at her furniture or carpets, she would scold them and place them at a scratching post. When the cats would scratch on the post, she would give them a treat. Now, her cats don't wear the soft paws anymore and they don't scratch at anything they're not supposed to. I've just started putting them on my kittens and they're doing fine with them. They never really scratched at furniture or anything, but they did use their claws to climb up furniture and after they tried to climb up my expensive leather ottoman, I went out and bough the soft claws. Now, they can't climb on stuff and I'm training them on where they can use their claws. I only have to replace 2 or 3 caps a week and that's mainly because they're kittens and their nails grow faster.

Here are my tips to you:

1) Have a partner with you who can help you! If one isn't available, or if you ever need to replace a cap by yourself, wear long and thick rubber gloves. Wrap the cat tightly in an old towel with just the foot out and do it fast!
2) Make sure to reward the kitties after you cap their claws. After a few times, they won't resist and they will actually enjoy having their nails capped. Of course, some cats have different temperaments and they may never like it at all.
3) Make sure to clip the nails but only just the sharp, pointy part. Definitely don't clip too close to the quick!
4) Before gluing the caps on, try them on the claw without the glue first, just in case. Some cats don't fit in the sizing guidelines. This way, you might be able to exchange them for a different size.
5) If you have a long haired cat, you might consider trimming the hair on the feet back a bit. Sometimes if you get the hair stuck in the glue or in the cap, it really irritates them and they will chew the cap off. I have to trim the hair back on my kitties feet a little. It helps!
6) If you're still having troubles, you might consider finding a vet or groomer (groomer would be cheaper!) who would help you put the claws on. Some will do it for a pretty reasonable fee and after you watch them do it, you can usually figure it out on your own.

Oh - and they also sell soft paws at Target and they're cheaper than pet stores. At Target sells them in store where I live. Just an FYI.

Good luck!

Eventually, they can/will grow out of the need to scratch and thus, the need to use the SoftPaws will stop. My new cat family has different behaviors and none scratch furniture, just their scratching posts.

Also, China Cat84 is correct. I do some volunteer work at a cat shelter. The cats that are declawed come INTO the shelter that way. I'm not aware of any shelters that would ever spend money on declawing - especially when most animals shelters are vehemently against the practice. Shelters' budgets barely cover the necessities of food, medical care and sterilization to waste precious financial resources the expense of declawing.

There are lots and lots of abandoned cats who were declawed and then, abandoned by negligent owners and tossed outside to 'fend' for themselves. Declawed cats know they are vulnerable and 'different'. It's a horrible and cruel practice that should not be allowed to continue.

runsnwalkin -- though I am generally against declawing, I have to ask -- where in the world you got your data to back up this claim??

I think adopting an already declawed cat (if that is what you want) is a great idea.

Another thing that helps is regularly (every two weeks) trimming the nails -- my cat is long-haired and I suggest a short haired cat because it is much, much easier to see the claws.

Lastly, give a clawed cat plenty of things that they CAN claw on. It won't take long for them to learn that those items belong to them, and they don't get yelled at by their owners when they use them.

I'm moving in with my girlfriend at the end of the month. I have 2 clawed cats. She has 1 declawed cats. I REALLY don't want to declaw my cats, but putting 2 clawed cats against 1 declawed cat is just cruel. My cats are sweethearts, but even if they're just playing, they could really cut up my gf's cat. And G-d forbid they actually fight, my gf's cat won't stand a chance.

Does anyone have any experience with clawed cats wearing soft paws dealing with a declawed cat? Like I said, I really don't want to declaw them, but I'm absolutely not giving them up. As much as I hate declawing, I think its more humane than just getting rid of them. Any help/suggestions people have would be extremely welcome.

Thanks ahead of time.

I think you're jumping the gun here. Wait and see how the cats get along. There's no reason why two clawed cats and one de-clawed cat won't and can't coexist normally.

Just make sure you keep their nails clipped.