Wondering if anyone has any experience with these...(Pets)

[Achika]

Before I got my new kitties, I was looking up things that I can do allow them to NOT be declawed. I do not want to declaw them.

Does anyone around here use Soft Paws for their cat (There's also a dog version available as well.)?

If anyone does, do you have good recommendations of it?

Do you think my vet or groomer would carry them, or at least help put them on when needed?

Anyone have any other suggestions? We'll be getting a scratching post at my new house, and I'll probably have a vet or groomer clip their claws shorter anyways.

Soft Paws seem my best bet right now. They're indoor cats, so they *shouldn't" need to fend off some dangerous creature outside. Just looking for an opinion so that I can figure out where best to put my money at. =D

[kuronosan]

Get them a scratching post and sprinkle catnip over it every week or so and give them enough attention.

The only cats that scratch the shit out of anything are the ones that need attention and don't get enough. Unfortunately, cats are the ones who decide when the attention they are getting is enough.

All you can do is give it enough to keep it distracted or wear it out so that it tires and doesn't feel like acting crazy.

[Skjie]

We use softpaws, the ones with the little lock grips are best. They're not bad, but you have to keep it up and replace them every few weeks.

[noblemountain]

You honestly shouldn't need anything more fancy than a scratching post as long as your kitties are getting attention. If you leave them alone 12+ hrs a day...then maybe think about something else. I raised a Lynx from kitten to adult and never declawed her, and she was far from a "tame" pet. She never put her claws out when we played and never scratched anything other than the post that I made for her.

[Cadsuane]

Trimming your cats claws can be done at home with ease depending on the docility of the cat. Make sure you get some basic tips though since you can overtrim and do some harm. But even so really, at some point your cat's going to poke a couple of holes in the leather somewhere so really, the best thing to do is sell the couches or keep something laid over the back and armrests.

[Ivve]

My cats tend to claw things even when they're getting enough attention sometimes because they enjoy kneading any surface they plan to sleep on. Sometimes they make holes when they get scared or excited (vacuums, visitors) and run across the furniture. I agree with selling the couches. Save yourself some heartache.

[kuronosan]

My cats tend to claw things even when they're getting enough attention sometimes because they enjoy kneading any surface they plan to sleep on. Sometimes they make holes when they get scared or excited (vacuums, visitors) and run across the furniture. I agree with selling the couches. Save yourself some heartache.

This too. Sometimes my cat, no matter how much I feed or pay attention to it, will always jump on my bed or chest and just start kneading. It's just feline nature I suppose.

[noblemountain]

This too. Sometimes my cat, no matter how much I feed or pay attention to it, will always jump on my bed or chest and just start kneading. It's just feline nature I suppose.

Weird...I can honestly say I've never had a domestic cat and wild cats don't do that so I have no experience with that behavior. Just be very careful if you're trimming the nails as you can cause a lot of pain by doing it wrong.

[Guyverarmor]

I have two cats, both under one year old, and have yet to use the soft paws(even though I have considered it from time to time). I use two scratching posts...One in the living room and one in the bedroom..and they love it.

And as for the kneeding, noticed it when my cats just want to let me know they love me . I need to post pics of them actually >_>

[zoobernut]

I agree with everyone here. Clip your cats claws regularly and get a scratching post and you should be fine.

[isladar]

Watch a kitten breastfeed, kneading is what they do to stimulate milk flow. Adults will do it when they feel awesome / loved / safe. If the kitten was taken away from its mother early enough they may actually continue to 'nurse' (suck on fabric) even as an adult.

[zoobernut]

When we first got our kitten she used to nurse on the dogs lip. She would knead on the dogs face and suck on the corner of her lip where it was all floppy. It was really funny.

[SubzeroDiabolos]

When we first got our kitten she used to nurse on the dogs lip. She would knead on the dogs face and suck on the corner of her lip where it was all floppy. It was really funny.

Awwww cute lol.

As for the soft paws, I guess that's a personnal choice. I wouldn't do it because to me that's like someone is forcing you to wear gloves 24/7.
I'd just get him a scratching post or 2, maybe a carpet and if that doesn't do it then oh well i'd live with my choice. I've always been a cat person and never of my life i've had any problems with any of my cats clawing the furniture, and sometimes I had whole cat families minus the dad at home.

[Skjie]

You honestly shouldn't need anything more fancy than a scratching post as long as your kitties are getting attention.

My cat straight up ignores every scratching post I've bought for him and scratches the carpet instead.

[Cadsuane]

Yeah, depending on the cat a scratching post won't help at all.

Cats really have such widely varying temperaments and behaviours that owning one can really go either way in terms of furniture/carpet collateral or just plain finding it enjoyable.

[Uzor]

You really don't need more then a scratching post for it, and even then you can build one yourself with some rope.

Either way, my cats are outdoor cats, so I don't have a scratch post either. Never see them scratching on anything indoors. Well, sometimes they'll put their paws on my leg and stretch their back while inserting their claws in to my leg, but that's just a way for them to tease and get attention, and its actually rather cute.

Either way, I've had cats for like 16 years, so my skin's like leather from all the kittens I've played with. Barely feel anything if they scratch me.

[Quixon]

All my cats start kneading to get their "bed" ready as well. The make an indentation the exact size of their body when curled up, it's actually pretty neat.

The bed could be my bed, pillow, head (fucking hurts like hell), any clothes on the floor, clean towels, or plastic bags.

[Achika]

I've decided to get my kitties some to give them a try. Figure if it works, it works, if it doesn't, oh well.

One of my kittens has taken to jumping and clinging to my side recently, claws extended.

Going to clip their claws as well, been reading up on how to do that but a little nervous of doing it, might consider a groomer that we've used for years for my dogs for them.

[aduidarnenye]

My parents trained their cat to scratch a scratching post by giving him a treat every time he did it. When they come home he runs to the stratching post to do "his trick" and he gets a treat. It took a long time and they had to put his front paws on the post a lot at first until he got it. Their other cat is a carpet scratcher and doesn't scratch furniture. They got him a square of carpet and did the same thing with him.

[Bardlet]

My husband and I had 3 cats- 2 maine coons who we inherited from a friend, and 1 little short hair who was a stray that we took in as a kitten last year. None of the 3 are declawed.

The 2 maine coons are older, and are pretty good- the only things they ever claw/paw are the carpets when the get excited/are playing, the scratching post, or (unfortunately) the doorways of the bedroom and den when they want us to wake up and feed them. We remedied the horrible nails on chalkboard factor of the last by getting some stair treads, and velcro'ing them onto the doorways at the level the cats were scratching at. Not only did it fix the problem, but they use them as a scratching post now and again.

The kitten, on the other hand, does the same when it comes to clawing, but he never really learned not to play with his claws out. This has resulted in a multitude of claw mark scars on mine and my husband's hands, lol. The kitten also nibbles/gnaws to show affection when he's playing sometimes (never bites though- just like, nibble nibble nibble lick lick. So cute).

Of the 3, the only one who kneads is the kitten. I'm not sure if its a maine coon thing, or if they other two just never really did that when they were kittens (we got them when the were 2 and 4 years old, so well past that point). The kitten though will knead a bit when he hops up on the bed to go to sleep with my husband and I.