Clawing.

[karleem]

Alright, so one of my boys is a clawer and no matter what I do, he claws at my chair. I'm tired of putting tape on every piece of furniture I own. So I was wondering. What are some thoughts on the claw caps? I've been interested in them for awhile but don't know if my boys will chew or rip their claws off to get the cap off of them. And go!

 

[tulosai]

I have no experience with them but I think it can't hurt to try. Some of our members and a few people I know in real life have had very good experiences with them.  The worst that could happen is that they don't work for your cat and then you're just back to square one anyway (and out a little money, I suppose, but I think it's worth the risk).

Also see this article for a few more ideas that might work for you. http://www.thecatsite.com/a/problem-scratching-and-how-to-stop-it

 

[lamiatron]

Alright, so one of my boys is a clawer and no matter what I do, he claws at my chair. I'm tired of putting tape on every piece of furniture I own. So I was wondering. What are some thoughts on the claw caps? I've been interested in them for awhile but don't know if my boys will chew or rip their claws off to get the cap off of them. And go!

i read great reviews on products like soft claws and others out there...claw caps. 

the few reviews i read were good enough to make me go out and buy a pack of them. However, after buying them. i did more research (about how to put them on) and i came across 1 negative review that changed my mind...

Someone wrote that their cat actually bit off the claw cap, swallowed it, and needed surgery to remove it, because it was stuck inside and the cat was not passing it naturally...

could her case have been the exception? sure. 

does that mean that would happen to both of my cats? maybe not, but maybe it could. 

at the end of the day my kitties are both animals, if they don't like something they'll do whatever they can to tear it off. 

I didn't want to take that chance so i returned the claw caps asap and never looked back.

but then again, I did not have any issues with my cats clawing or scratching anything other than their scratching post.

Do you have one? 

maybe you should invest in a scratching post, and put cat nip on it to attract kitty. When i noticed my cats started to scratch my bed sheets, i used to carry them to the scratching post and took one paw and made scratching motions on the sisal portion of the post. after a couple of times of doing this, they both got the hint, and they don't go any where else, and they don't scratch where they're not supposed to. I have floor length curtains in my place, and my cats don't even notice them.

Also, i make sure to clip their claws on a weekly basis. I used to do it while they were asleep. as they got older, they would wake up when i touched them, so i'd clip a claw, give a treat, clip a paw, give another treat, etc. now they hate getting their claws clipped, but they sit still long enough for me to get it done at least. 

 

[pisces7386]

We have used claw caps on all three of our cats right from the start. We only apply them to the front claws because they don't scratch with the back. I didn't expect the cats to leave them alone but i figured what the heck I'd give them a try. We got softclaws brand first because two of our three cats were young kittens ( like 2 1/2 months old) and we liked their kitten package ( half kitten size half small cat size). They are nice, but expensive. We have also used kitty caps now, they work just as well for a few bucks less. They are also softer plastic so they are easier to apply. Next we will be trying purrdy paws.. they have the best pricing and color options... but the low low price worries me slightly. I just don't trust things that seem too good to be true. 

Here are some of the things I was concerned about and how they worked out-

 1. Picking/chewing- Our cats did pick at them a little at first but we distracted them for about 10 minutes and they forgot about them completely. The worst that can happen is they pulled the cap off  along with the outer layer of the nails. Nails naturally shed the outer layers though. so I really don't see this as much of a problem. If you are worried about it you can try only putting a small amount of glue in the caps the first time you apply them. It means they will fall off faster... but they will also pull off easier in case the cats hate them. 

2. Eating the caps- Lamiatron's post about the surgery for a stuck cap is scary, but the caps are tiny and non toxic. They are made to be safe if they get eaten.  We have been using the caps for 6 months now and have good friends who have used them for years. They haven't mentioned any problems and I think our cats have eaten a few but we have never seen them again.

3.Will the cat let me apply them- If you can't clip your cats nails don't even bother trying the nail caps... you need to be able to handle the cats paws. That said, we do have some trouble with two of our cats so my husband and I work together to apply the caps during naptime. If they weren't all chill and relaxed there is no way we could apply them. Also, we apply once a week to replace the ones that have fallen off in the past 7 days. It is usually less than 4 per cat so it is over almost faster than the cat realizes what is happening. (if your cat won't let you handle their paws you can start slow and work your way up to claw caps)

Suggestions-

 1. Use less glue rather than more.. at least at first. The directions say 1/2 to 3/4 full depending on the brand. Just keep in mind that if the glue squeezes out it is going right into their toe fur. Our cats have really crazy toe fur ( we actually have to trim it because they get no traction in the tile or wood floors, lol) and a few times we have found caps after they have fallen off with fur stuck in the glue. 

2.Plan ahead. On the days we apply we take a quick look in the morning to see how many caps are missing. The later in the day when the cats are all sleeping we lay the glue, nail clippers, the correct number of caps, and napkins or paper towel on the table where we do their nails. Everything is ready so we can apply the caps really fast. Once my husband is ready to cut the first nail I got get the first cat. And that leads to my next tip:

3. Get a partner to help you. When we apply the caps each week I sit with the cat in my lap and my husband applies the caps. It just works better to have 4 hands. 

4. Apply weekly. Our cats only loose a couple of caps a week and reapplying them weekly has a few benefits- first, that random claw that doesn't have a cap can do some serious damage and I swear it hurts more when it scratches you than any nail ever hurt before. Second, it means that you will only be applying a few at a time which makes it much faster and less stressful if your cat isn't completely cool with it yet. Third, they remember that it happens all the time and it isn't that bad. 

Wow.. I have written and essay on what should be very basic topic ... In conclusion, try them!

 

[lamiatron]

that's another reason i was turned off to claw caps @pisces7386  , because I needed an army to put it on my cats! (jk..i'm just exaggerating)

I'm glad and happy to hear it has worked out well for you. Definitely a very informative post on claws caps, that speaks about the benefits, pros, and realistically what to expect.

see, i didn't know all that you just posted before buying claw caps...I was turned off to the whole claw caps deal the minute i bought it, and then i read that i had to basically glue the caps onto the claws...that was a bit of a turn off, and then that negative review...i just didn't want to take the chance. 

And fortunately, my cats didn't need them. It was one of those things where i saw it online, thought, hey let me try it!, but not out of necessity, just out of curiosity..because my cats really didn't need them.

 

[pisces7386]

Our cats don't claw much at all now that they aren't little kittens trying to figure out how to walk and move about, but we keep the caps on to appease our landlords Our lease actually said  no cats, but we talked to the landlord and explained  our situation ( the mom cat belong to the neighbor who was neglecting it and it had the babies on our patio) and they gave in with the condition that they do not 'damage' the house. 

 

[lamiatron]

 
Our cats don't claw much at all now that they aren't little kittens trying to figure out how to walk and move about, but we keep the caps on to appease our landlords Our lease actually said  no cats, but we talked to the landlord and explained  our situation ( the mom cat belong to the neighbor who was neglecting it and it had the babies on our patio) and they gave in with the condition that they do not 'damage' the house. 

That is also a very good point/reason for wanting to use cat claws. because of landlords/lease restrictions.

My landlord doesn't really care about pets...

We have 3 pets over all in my house...two of my cats, and 1 dog (my roommates)

My cats just don't scratch anything else other than what they're supposed to, but then again, i always give them enough play, and enough things to scratch. aside from 2 scratching posts, 1 carpeted, and 1 carpeted with sisal posts, they have PLENTY of cardboard boxes all around, as I don't throw boxes away anymore until they are bored with it.

its good your landlord let you keep your kitties  

 

[karleem]

I bought some no scratch spray and applied it last night and Simba hasn't touched my chair. So I'm takin that as a good sign. The claw caps are sort of a last resort. He also hates gettin his nails clipped. I clip both my boys nails but they freak out and hate it even if I give them treats. And I have many different dcratching post but they only like a certain one and they don't make it anymore. So I've been trying to re introduce the other ones I have for them. And the claw caps were $15! I couldn't believe how much they were!

 

[di and bob]

My cats were destroying my furniture too, until I discovered those corrugated cardboard scratchers at Walmart. They love them SO much they totally ignore my couch now and RUN to them several times a day. I even hear them at night! You might try them as a 'diversion'. good luck!!!

 

[lamiatron]

 
My cats were destroying my furniture too, until I discovered those corrugated cardboard scratchers at Walmart. They love them SO much they totally ignore my couch now and RUN to them several times a day. I even hear them at night! You might try them as a 'diversion'. good luck!!!

great idea! some cats love using horizontal scratchers instead of vertical ones!

 

[pisces7386]

 And the claw caps were $15! I couldn't believe how much they were!

 The Soft Claws brand is the most expensive, But there are at least two other brands, Kitty Caps and Purrdy Paws. Both of them are less expensive. Purrdy Paws even has bulk packages

 

[karleem]

They have every type of scratch material. They only like a certain one for some reason. I have the cardboard one but they just sleep on it.