Soft Claws® are well known and quite heavily promoted by a lot of websites. They are seen by people as an alternative to declawing and I welcome that because we all know that declawing is completely unacceptable. However, I have some questions about the efficacy and practicalities of using Soft Claws.
How many cat owners have bought this product? I get the impression that they are less popular than the promotional material indicates, which may be because that they’re not as practical as they first seem. No doubt they fall off after a certain period of time. How long do they stay on for?
You couldn’t use them for an outdoor cat because they would prevent the cat from being able to defend himself. That would exclude the majority of the domestic cats in the UK but it would suit a lot of cats and cat owners in the USA.
How safe is this product? Do domestic cats find them uncomfortable? We don’t know the answer to that last question because we can’t ask our cat but we do know that cats are sensitive to objects placed on them and to our touch. We know that paw pads are very sensitive and therefore I would expect a cat’s paw is to be generally sensitive. Can we assume that a cat feels the same wearing this product as we would if we had the tips of our fingers covered with a plastic cap? That is probably an unfair comparison because the tips of our fingers are very sensitive to touch but if the comparison is even slightly useful we would have to assume that our cat will feel the claw caps and they will feel uncomfortable. No doubt they get used to them.
We know that the outer lair of a cat’s claw naturally sloughs off in time and we all know that the cat encourages this to happen by scratching. Obviously if the claw is encased in plastic this natural process cannot take place. How does the cat feel about that? And what does the cat owner do to deal with it?
Soft Claws nail caps are stuck on with glue. Does the glue seep into the claw and make it softer? I have no idea, but if you are applying a chemical, which glue is, to a claw which is made of keratin there may be some sort of subtle chemical reaction taking place which we don’t know about.
Has there ever been a case of a cat swallowing a claw cap? It would seem to be quite possible that this might happen. I presume the product, if swallowed, does not hurt the cat and that it will pass through the cat’s digestive system. Can we be completely reassured that this is the case?
Is the glue completely safe even if it is ingested by the cat? I presume that it must be and I also presume that the manufacturers state that it is completely safe (I have not being to the manufacturer’s site to check) but this would be a concern to me if I bought the product.
Finn Frode doesn’t think they are any good. What do you think?
These claw caps are confusing me some now because, if the nails are trimmed before they are applied, what is the purpose of them?
Is there something cosmetic going on?
And, I agree that they have to be unhealthy. I wonder how many cats develop nail fungus from them.
Thank you, Ahsan.
I’m certain that you will reach your goal of building the shelter.
And, it’s really not scary talking to yourself. I do it all day long when I’m not speaking to the cats. For me, I think it’s a stress and frustration release. I’m sure that an outsider watching me might think I was crazy, especially when I laugh to myself. We all have our own ways of coping in this world.
If you manage to do that Michael Babz and I will contribute a bit too, it won’t be a lot as by we support our local sanctuaries we don’t have much left, but every little helps we think.
Aww Better Photos of Ginger/Reds. You have such a big Heart.
Love the Ginger one!! Reminds me of my Rebel. That Cute Tortie. They all look in amazing health.
Yes, agreed. I am working out through Western Union of getting some financial support to Ahsan as well.