Anyone ever use Soft Paws???

[HOUMedGal]

So I came across these seemingly ingenious little nail cap thingies online the other day...and so I ordered some, in hopes that they would be as amazing as all the reviews say they are...my little kitty Lucy LOOOOVES to sharpen her claws on my couch.

http://www.softclaws.com/

They arrived today, and I had an amazingly easy time getting them on her paws! I just held her the way I do to trim her claws, and she didn''t argue much at all!!! I did put the glue in all the nail covers first, as directed, which I think is definitely a good idea so the application time is kept to a minimum!

So after I got them all on and kept Lucy distracted with kitty treats for the 5 minutes they recommend (for the glue to dry), I let her loose, and she didn''t seem too bothered at all!!! She could tell something was there, but only licked them a few times and then went on with her business!!!

We''ll see how well they work at preserving the sidess of my couch...but I can already tell that 1) her nails don''t hurt when she uses them, and 2) they look pretty darn cute, like she''s had her nails painted!!! I got the hot pink ones, since she is a girl and all

Here are a few pics...

 

[HOUMedGal]

I really hate how grainy my pics look after I downsize them enough to post on here...

 

[researcher]

Those are too funny!!! I love ''em! I don''t have a cat (I figured your thread was about some hand cream or something--idiot that I can be), but I think they look adorable! I hope they work

 

[HOUMedGal]

OK, I just realized that in the title I called them "Soft Paws", and then the website is "Soft Claws." They go by both names, apparently, but the package I got is "Soft Claws." I dunno if Soft Paws is the same product or not.

 

[HOUMedGal]

Hehe, thanks Researcher!! BTW, I like the new avatar!!! VERY nice pic!!!

I'm keeping my "paws" crossed that they work...my couch could use a break!!!

ETA: Isn't she a cutie pie? Hehe. She's a good kitty! (well, except for the couch scratching thing...hehe)

 

[HOUMedGal]

Oh, and they make them for doggies, too...they say they help protect hardwood floors from claw marks.

 

[AChiOAlumna]

I''m so glad that you showed these off!! With my own new adopted kitty, I need to find a way to protect my house from her claws...this looks like a GREAT way to do it!!! Thanks!!!

 

[HOUMedGal]

AChiO, I'll let you know how it goes with them!!! So far, so good...they were way easier to apply than I expected. And she really doesn't seem to mind them. The kit that I bought cost $17.99, including 2 tubes of glue, 6 tips for applying the glue, and 40 soft claw covers. They say they should stay on for 4-6 weeks...you just replace them as they fall off with the natural shedding of the kitty's nail. They say that they may come off quicker during the "adjustment period" because it takes some kitties longer to adjust and they may try to chew them off...all Lucy has done so far is lick a few times, she doesn't seem concerned, hehe.

ETA: Bunny Butt is ADORABLE!!! I hope the adjustment is going well!

 

[researcher]

Thanks! I may have to change my avatar back though as Nan and I both are not good with change (she already informed me that I should go back). But, I believe in equal opportunity for my e-ring and w-band so we''ll see what happens

And yes, your kitty is just adorable. I''ve always wanted one, but I''m allergic

So, I just have to admire them from afar!

 

[FireGoddess]

I spoke extremely highly of these a few months ago in the "No Dogs Allowed" thread in the Family and Home section of PS.

I have been using these on my cat Chloe for awhile and they prevent her from shredding my couch and furniture, which to my dismay she loves to do. It''s easy for me to get them on her, and she doesn''t even notice they''re there.

I''ve bought her the red and the pink ones in size small. She weighs 9 pounds.
I can''t rave enough about them.

They are called Soft Paws OR Soft Claws...either website links up to an almost identical page.

 

[youngster]

Hi there HouMedGal,
We''ve been using soft claws on our kitty for the past month. We adopted him from the humane society. (He was about 5 months old and thin. Some person left him in a box outside a grocery store.

) The humane society people were great and highly recommended the use of soft claws. When we took him to the vet, the vet also endorsed them. They said if you have an agreeable cat (like yours and ours), they can be terrific though a lot of cats are not so agreeable as to sit through the process. I think we''ve had one or two fall off and had to replace them in the past month but other than that, they get a big thumbs up from us.

 

[CdnBlingGal]

I was going to try them on my one of my girls but decided not to so I returned them to the store. Please leep us updates as how long they last. They cost me $34.99 for a package of 40.

 

[FireGoddess]

Cdn - is that $35 canadian???? On the website they''re only $18 for a pack of 40.

 

[HOUMedGal]

Hehe, FireGoddess, our kitties' toes match!

I'm glad to hear from FG and Youngster that they like them...I can't help getting excited about the prospect of a relatively easy solution to couch-shredding!

Cdnblinggal, I'll definitely give an update on how well they work!!

I just watched Lucy try to sharpen her claws on the edge of my mattress...another favorite place...and when she stretched out and tried to scratch, her paws just slid right down off the edge!!! Hehehehe! She tried again, and then looked VERY puzzled.

ETA: FireGoddess, I got the mediums...Lucy weighs just barely 10lbs. She's pretty small-framed, but they seem to fit so far. I guess if they seem to fall off easily I should try the smalls??

 

[HOUMedGal]

Yeah, Cdn...on the website, the price I paid was $18...and I noticed afterwards that there are some other places online offering them for $15, and I even saw them on Ebay for $13 plus a couple bucks shipping.

 

[CdnBlingGal]

Yup, $35 Cdn. I got them at Petcetera. That price kinda got me thinking if it was worth it. It''s not like I have new furniture, the furniture we have is already wrecked thanks to our two girls.

If these soft claws do work maybe I''ll look around to see if I can ge them cheaper somewhere else.

 

[CdnBlingGal]

Okay, i checked out the website. I guess the Pet stores have their mark up so that''s why I paid so much. If I buy them through the website, it will still work out cheaper. Hmmm...

 

[AChiOAlumna]

What size would anyone suggest for a Manx? Bunny Butt is 11.7 pounds (had her weighed at the vet today) and her paws are large, although her size is medium...

Here''s a pix of her with her paws....

 

[royalasscherlover]

I''m normally just a lurker, but I wanted to pop in here and offer my opinion:

At the recommendation of my vet, I tried Soft Paws out on my kitten. While they definitely kept him from scratching things, the first one fell off after just one week. Over the next few weeks, they continued to fall off one by one, and after 4 weeks, none of the original caps were left. So I wasn''t very happy with how quickly they fell off - definitely not as advertised. Also, as they started to grow out, I had a problem with the top of the caps (the part closest to the paw) getting caught on things when my kitty extended his claws. He stuck them through a blanket on my bed and got stuck - I had to rush in with the scissors and cut off the tangled string to free him. The getting stuck part really worried me - I was afraid that he could seriously injure his paw if he got scared and tried to free himself.

My guy does not sit still while I work on his nails either. All in all, I''ve decided that these are not for me.

 

[CdnBlingGal]

I would say medium. Forest is about 10 pounds and a bit but she's just chubby.I'm in the process of ordering medium for her.

 

[HOUMedGal]

On the website, they say that most cats will wear a size medium. They have a measurement thingie you can print out and hold next to a claw to see which fits best...I thought Lucy might wear a small, since she's relatively small framed and weighs just at 10lbs, but the medium looks like it fits her pretty perfectly. They went on pretty easily and stopped just below the cuticle, which is where they're supposed to stop. And they didn't feel loose or anything.

I would *guess* medium for Bunny Butt. But see if you can find the measurement print out to make sure.

ETA: this is from the website:

"Medium
Approximately 9-13 pounds. Most adult average size cats wear medium."

 

[moremoremore]

LOL- such cute pix of chloe and your baby houmed!!! And bunny butt is a big boned gal, huh? LOL Same with Forest LOL
If soft paws work, that's awesome. I found that keeping a certain type of scratching post they like in each room in a prominent place, cutting nails once every week or two, and a squirt gun, double sided sticky paws and a loud firm NO have worked out farily well lately!!

 

[HOUMedGal]

Hehehe, Forest is ADORABLE!!! I love that belly!!

RoyalAsscherLover, I''m sorry to hear that they didn''t work out for you. Maybe the kitten''s claws were just so small that they wouldn''t stay on very well??? It''s always good to hear both sides of the story.

 

[AChiOAlumna]

Well, I tried to measure BB''s paw and she hissed at me!

What a silly girl!!!

She''s big boned, as Manx normally are. I think she''ll probably lose some weight once she gets acclimated and feels comfortable enough to run around.

 

[FireGoddess]

The smalls stay on Chloe for about a month to a month and a half it seems. Sure one or two will have come off, it's just my prerogative not to replace till they're all mostly gone. Sometimes one or two will still be there and I just snip them off with the cat claw clippers and they come right off, clip all her nails and put all the claw covers on.

Chloe won't scratch ANYTHING resembling a post or a scratching mat or anything - only the corners of my mattress and boxspring, my couch, the carpet...

. These have saved our relationship!

When I got a new bed I banned her from the bedroom so she wouldn't shred the expensive new bed...she got depressed because she likes to sleep right next to us, HAS to be touching one of us all night, which wasn't gonna happen since she was banned. I put the claw guards on her and now she is allowed back in and purrs and snuggles all night. They are SO worth it.

Last month Chloe got a UTI and I took her to the vet...the whole staff was SO happy I was using the Soft Paws and couldn't rave enough about them. They especially liked her pink nails too. Too funny.

ETA: I think most cats would take a medium - it's a good place to start and if you find they're too big you can always go smaller next time. With regard to BB hissing...that's too funny. Chloe does that too but she doesn't know you're supposed to swat or something afterwards. Every time she tries to hiss she's like, "Okay, now why didn't that WORK?? Why are you still trying to grab me?"

And BTW - that picture of BB kneading on the bathroom rug is my absolute FAVORITE.

 

[HOUMedGal]

Silly Bunny Butt! Don''t hiss at your momma!!!

FG, I''m hoping to have as much success as you have!!! I think Lucy likes her new manicure...I just caught her laying on the carpet with her paws laid out in front of her and criss-crossed, like she''s proud of her pretty pink nails!!! hehehe!!!

 

[FireGoddess]

I swear to God, now she''s just showing off!!!!!!!!

She looks like me after a manicure. LOL.

 

[HOUMedGal]

Yes, AChiO, I agree with FG, a medium would probably be a good place to start. I wasn''t sure either, thought she might take a small instead, but went with the mediums because they said that most adult cats wear medium, and so far I''m glad I did.

 

[HOUMedGal]

Date: 10/6/2005 9:45:27 PM
Author: FireGoddess
I swear to God, now she''s just showing off!!!!!!!!

She looks like me after a manicure. LOL.

I know, she seems to love them!!! I know that I always like to show my nails off when they''re pretty...didn''t know that Lucy would too!!!

 

[AndyRosse]

I''m so glad that some of guys have had great experiences with Soft Paws!

Rascal and I tried them about a year and a half ago, and all I can say is "Argh!!"

First I should note that Rascal is a pain in the butt and will not let you touch his paws unless you are really fighting him and have the help of an extra human or two. So I had my vet help me put them on him, and I would say within a week, several had already fallen off. So back to the vet we went to have more put on, and sure enough, more fell off the next week. Maybe we just weren''t doing it right, who knows. But since he was so uncooperative at home about letting me put them on, and my FI just stands there pretending to be helpful (

), I just gave up. About three weeks later, he had just one still on I think.

So I do have a bunch of medium sized blue and clear soft paws if anyone wants them. Just PM me and I''ll mail them off to you!