One of my cats scratches walls and door trims even though I provide plenty of scratching posts around the house. His 2 brothers never do that. I don't want to declaw him but he causes a lot of damage around the house and nothing helps. Has anyone used plastic nail covers and do they work? Are they safe for the kitties? Any other suggestions? We actually went as far as upholstering all corners with carpet what helped a little...
Dena
Favorite Answer
You will NOT have to sedate the kitty, I have applied soft paws a number of times, to various pets (I was a groomer for 10 years) and have never heard of having to sedate a cat.
Anyway, you will have to trim the claws, not all the way, just the tips, and have someone hold kitty in thier lap, on kitty's back; take each of the soft paws and drop a bit of the glue (basically like super glue) that comes with the package into the first four (or five if necessary to do the dewclaw) caps--go ahead and quickly slip those on the claws, and squeeze each one closed over the nail, to facilitate the adherence of the glue. Then, repeat this procedure with the other paw. Very seldom would I be asked to do this on the back claws, as it isn't really necessary. They usually stay on, if applied correctly, for about a month or so--at least until the claws grow out through the tips of the soft paws. They DO have many colors, but they also have many sizes, ranging from small to large--for a kitty/small cat I suggest the small. The pack usually has enough for quite a few applications, so even though they can be pricy, it is worth it if you do not want to declaw the kitty. They are very safe, I have never heard of any problems with them, and the kitty will act strange at first, but will get used to them. Hope that helps!
domingez
Plastic Cats
smurfett
They are called soft paws and the only harmful part about it is that you usually have to sedate the cat. Just think of it as nail tips for your kitty. You sedate the kitty then trim the nails back and apply nail glue to the nail cover then press it firmly on the kitties nail, until it is secure. Do all four paws or just the front ones. The only thing is that they only last 2-3 weeks so you are sedating your kitty a good bit unless they will hold still long enough to do it. You can buy these at pet depot stores or most vet offices provide this service. I hope that can help. Good luck with your kitties.
Anonymous
Nail caps, known as Soft Claws or Soft Paws are wonderful. They attach to a cats nails with cat safe glue, similar to what they use for fake fingernails but for cats. Some people say trimming a cats nails is enough but I can tell you from experience, it isn't. I used to be getting ready for work and Marina would jump on my back, hoping to climb up me and get onto the top shelf of my closet. She would use her nails to help her get up my back, or hang on as she slid back down. I looked like the victim in a slasher movie. Then I discovered the nail caps. They don't get rid of the pain as she tries to climb up me but they also don't allow her to scratch me like she used to. For people with diseases such as diabetes, cancer, hemophelia, etc., cat scratches could cause health problems so nail caps are a good option. I've had them last from a week (which is unusual) to 14 weeks (also unusual). The normal seems to be six to eight weeks. I always trim the nails then apply nail caps. Well, actually the groomer does. It really takes two people or a very patient cat. And they get used to it within a few hours or a day at most.
Cecelia
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RE:
Plastic nail covers for cats?
One of my cats scratches walls and door trims even though I provide plenty of scratching posts around the house. His 2 brothers never do that. I don't want to declaw him but he causes a lot of damage around the house and nothing helps. Has anyone used plastic nail covers and do they work? Are...