# Our Dilemma :-(



## Minny-Moo (Jul 12, 2010)

Hi everyone.

I am new to this website, and hope to become an active member.  

We have got a cat, called Minny. 
She is 5 years old and we have had her since she was a kitten. 

We live in a 1 bedroom flat, so Minny has never experienced the outside world as she has always been an indoor cat. 

We have bought a new house, and will be moving within the next few weeks. Both my Husband and I are not sure what to do with regards to letting her out, although the more we discuss it the more we feel it would be best to keep her indoors, where she will be safe.
We would like her to experience going outside, but at the same time we are worried, as she won't be street wise. I have spoken to our vet about this and they said that she will adapt and it should be fine. 

Although I am worried for her safety, we are also worried for our new furniture that we have ordered. As when Minny was a kitten she literally ruined everything, despite us not actually letting her. By the time we could go to stop her she'd already done it.
She does occasionally still do it, and our sofa's are totally recked.
We have got new ones for our new house, along with some other furniture and I really need to do something to ensure she doesn't ruin those too.
I have read online about some softpaws, and was wondering if any of you have experienced these and what you think about them?

What does everyone think? 

We are really unsure what to do about it, but I am literally at my wits end with her scratching. :-( 

Any of your opinions or idea's on this would be greatfully received. We really don't want our new furniture ruined like the stuff we have in our flat. 

Thanks for reading this, and I look forward to hearing from you all.

Best Wishes,
Hannah


----------



## buffie (May 31, 2010)

you dont say whether she has scratch posts ,if she does ,does she use them.Other people will no doubt give you advice Iam lucky enough not to have had to much problems with scratching furniture.I believe Feliway have a product which may help.Indoor/outdoor debate big difference of opinions on this one.My view is indoors as I feel it is no longer safe for cats to roam freely.You dont say whether you will be living in a quiet or busy area(traffic ect)this is a factor I think in any decision.Good luck and welcome to the forum:thumbup:


----------



## Minny-Moo (Jul 12, 2010)

buffie said:


> you dont say whether she has scratch posts ,if she does ,does she use them.Other people will no doubt give you advice Iam lucky enough not to have had to much problems with scratching furniture.I believe Feliway have a product which may help.Indoor/outdoor debate big difference of opinions on this one.My view is indoors as I feel it is no longer safe for cats to roam freely.You dont say whether you will be living in a quiet or busy area(traffic ect)this is a factor I think in any decision.Good luck and welcome to the forum:thumbup:


Thanks 

Yes as we only live in a 1 bed studio flat we only have one scratching post. Minny uses this daily. But still feels the need to scratch our sofa's.
I've noticed she does it mainly, when she is laying on the sofa. She might go to sleep for a while, then she stretches her paws and scratches the tops of them (if that makes sense).
Often I can walk into the lounge and she is scratching the side of the sofa too.
She also scratches the side of our bed first thing in the morning.

Where we will be moving is on a fairly busy road, it leads to 2 schools, so afternoon and morning time it will busy. Other than it is pretty quiet, but there is lots of idiots racing around in their cars. 
I think my husband and I have come to the conclusion that we will be keeping her indoors.

I am wondering if anyone here has ever used softpaws on their cats?

I saw an advert on the TV yesterday for Feliway, has anyone used this before?

I am willing to try anything to stop her from scratching the furniture, especially as its our new house and we have got lots of new things for it.

Thanks for your help!


----------



## buffie (May 31, 2010)

Sorry I cant say personally whether feliway works or not(hope it does have just ordered diffuser for different problem)but there are many people on this forum who swear by the product.
Iam not being much help here ,have not heard of anyone using soft paws so cant comment,you could try clipping claws or getting vet to do it (much better and done much shorter)You could also try spraying furniture with cat repellant canac do a training spray [email protected] £2.99 has citronella in it which cats dont like or you could google "natural cat repellent"there are a few good websites.


----------



## Minny-Moo (Jul 12, 2010)

buffie said:


> Sorry I cant say personally whether feliway works or not(hope it does have just ordered diffuser for different problem)but there are many people on this forum who swear by the product.
> Iam not being much help here ,have not heard of anyone using soft paws so cant comment,you could try clipping claws or getting vet to do it (much better and done much shorter)You could also try spraying furniture with cat repellant canac do a training spray [email protected] £2.99 has citronella in it which cats dont like or you could google "natural cat repellent"there are a few good websites.


Thank-You you have been really helpful 

I will have a look at canac spray tomorrow, and I will order some. I am willing to try anything. Thanks for pointing me in the right direction.

I will order some feliway too I think  Don't really understand how it works though.

Minny won't know whats going on when all this stuff arrives. hehe.


----------



## buffie (May 31, 2010)

Minny-Moo said:


> Thank-You you have been really helpful
> 
> I will order some feliway too I think  Don't really understand how it works though.
> 
> Minny won't know whats going on when all this stuff arrives. hehe.


Hope Iam not to late .check out prices of feliway as they vary greatly ,Try ebay,zoo plus or the on line pet pharmacies before ordering.


----------



## Minny-Moo (Jul 12, 2010)

buffie said:


> Hope Iam not to late .check out prices of feliway as they vary greatly ,Try ebay,zoo plus or the on line pet pharmacies before ordering.


No your not too late, I haven't ordered yet. Going to make some lunch and order this afternoon. Thank-You very much for the tips! will have a look around before I order!

Thanks :thumbup:


----------



## Tje (Jan 16, 2010)

Minny-Moo said:


> I have read online about some softpaws, and was wondering if any of you have experienced these and what you think about them?


I have never used them, and to be honest I probably never will... BUT I did work closely with another foster mum in another country and she did use them and reported postive results with some cats that she used them on.

Personally I think "alternative places to sctach that are more appealing than my furniture" is the way to go to solve scratching problems (i.e scratch posts and more scratch posts).

And I really don't mean you have to spend a fortune... not at all - I am as stingy as they come, lol ... I have two "bought" scratching posts... but I have about 6 or 7 cheap homemade ones scattered around my home. I would be more than happy to make photos of my home-made cheapo things if that would help you??

Basically my cats have a access to a good strong sturdy and fairly big scratching pole in every room of our house. And don't worry about space... they need take in no space at all... "dead spaces" like the backs of doors or flat surfaces of walls can be utilzed... legs of dining tables and chairs can be made into a scratch post just by wrapping sisal rope around them.

I have two of my own cats and a constant stream of fosters... and I really have little trouble with scratching... you just need to be creative.

I also agree with Buffie about Feliway... for some cats it really does calm them right down in a totally natural way. It is a little difuser which you plug into your socket and it gives out calming cat phermones. (they're a bit like those plug in air refreshers) ... but I would imagine these would only work if your cats scratching was definitely stress realted... usually it's not stress, mostly mere boredom or too long nails.

If you want pics of my cheapo home made scratching things, just give me a holler.

just adding this bit which I forgot... get your vet to give you a one-off demo on nail clipping then clip her nails every month or so... I am not saying this _is_ her problem... I don't know your cat obviously... but that's my 2-front defence to scratching... short nails and plenty of surfaces in every room to scratch on.


----------



## Minny-Moo (Jul 12, 2010)

Tje said:


> I have never used them, and to be honest I probably never will... BUT I did work closely with another foster mum in another country and she did use them and reported postive results with some cats that she used them on.
> 
> Personally I think "alternative places to sctach that are more appealing than my furniture" is the way to go to solve scratching problems (i.e scratch posts and more scratch posts).
> 
> ...


Thanks! 

Yeah I would love to see some photo's of your scratching things, if its not too much trouble  Thanks!

The thing is, even if I put out scratching posts everywhere, while I'm out there is still the possiblity that she will scratch our new sofa and chairs etc. She really is an avid scratcher - even though she still uses her scratching post. So I've thought maybe I could try Softpaws just as a short term thing, and I will also put scratch posts and stuff where she can go to, and try to train her into using those so that she doesn't feel the need to scratch the sofa etc. Then I can take them off her. What do you think?

We clip her nails often, but perhaps we aren't doing it well enough. She is due for a booster at the vets next month so I will get them to do them then, and show us.


----------



## Tje (Jan 16, 2010)

Minny-Moo said:


> Thanks!
> 
> Yeah I would love to see some photo's of your scratching things, if its not too much trouble  Thanks!
> 
> ...


hmmmm.... the problem I have with softpaws... no matter how I look at it, even assuming they do work, they can only ever work when they are on. They are not flixing the underlying problem... and I think ultimately, that is what you have to address. You use softpaws temporarily, you still have to fix the problem when they come off. See where I'm coming from?

In the new house... could you keep her out of the livingroom when you're not home? Would she still have ample space if she was shut out of this room when you're not home?

I will make pics tonight... if I forget PM me tomorrow !!!

Honestly... a BIG role of sisal rope would I am sure go a longgg way to curing your problems. But, I warn you now... lol... you will get blistered hands wrapping the sisaal everywhere.

Last question... your new home... does it have stairs in it??? (asking this as I have a brilliant trick to turn stairways into a cheap and very effective scratching post)


----------



## lorilu (Sep 6, 2009)

Just give your kitty lots of her own furniture to scratch and teach her to use _her_ furniture not the new furniture.

Cats are trainable!

I would not be letting her out at all, especially as you live near schools.

Many kids see cats as targets for torture and other abuse.

Besides, letting her out is not going to stop her wanting to scratch. I know people with "outdoor cats" and their furniture is scratched because they never bothered to give the cats their own furniture to scratch, even though they ask me every time I go over there how they can stop their cats from scratching the furniture. I say the same thing every time: buy or build them their own furniture to scratch and teach them to use it. <shrug>


----------



## $hAzZa (May 2, 2010)

Have you tried catnip spraying the post occasionally? She might find that more atttracting than the furniture

Also,the plug-in feliway isn't that great if you live in a house because it only releases the pheromones in one room, so you would at least need one in each room!

Seen as you live in a 1 bed flat, it might work better  x


----------



## ziva (Aug 19, 2009)

you can buy a can of pressurised air (it is used to clean computer keyboards) from pc world or staples. When you catch your cat scratching spray it (not at the cat!) it sounds like another cat hissing. My father moved in a new house with all new furniture and one of his cats turned into a nija!!!! he clawed everything. the pressured air really worked. my brother also keeps the cats claws trimmed.

Finally my brother has two house cats, when they moved to a new house he started off introducing them to the garden on a harness and lead. once they were happy he left the patio door open. Now they stay in most of the tiem but got out to the toilet.

dunno if any of this helps. good luck


----------



## sullivan (Aug 29, 2008)

At your new house will you have a garden you said you would have liked her to go out but was worried about safety due to traffic etc have you considered having your garden cat proofed so she can go out but you know she is secure. She then can hunt etc and stay fitter but you know shes safe. Just a idear am aware that is not always possible. Or you could get a cat run for nice days if you have the room she could get some fresh air.


----------



## Minny-Moo (Jul 12, 2010)

Tje said:


> hmmmm.... the problem I have with softpaws... no matter how I look at it, even assuming they do work, they can only ever work when they are on. They are not flixing the underlying problem... and I think ultimately, that is what you have to address. You use softpaws temporarily, you still have to fix the problem when they come off. See where I'm coming from?
> 
> In the new house... could you keep her out of the livingroom when you're not home? Would she still have ample space if she was shut out of this room when you're not home?
> 
> ...


Yeah I understand what you mean. But I'm thinking, just try the softpaws while I see how she's going, I can try and "train" her to use the other scratch posts and stuff and then hopefully she won't attempt to do it to the sofa (but in the meanwhile if she did it wouldnt matter as she'd have the softpaws on). Then I can take them off her and leave her to it, hopefully by then she will only be scratching her own stuff. Do I make sense? Or not? lol.

The front room/lounge door can be shut when we are out, and she will still have the run of a 3 bed semi house. We have got leather backed chairs which will be in our dining room and as its like open planned there is no door, so these will probably be scratched. I just need to show her that her own stuff is much better to scratch, by doing what you said.

Yeah we have stairs 

Are your cats indoor cats?


----------



## Minny-Moo (Jul 12, 2010)

Just read everyones comments after I'd posted.

Thanks for all your tips! 

Ziva - do your Brothers cats scratch the furniture anymore?


----------



## Tje (Jan 16, 2010)

Minny-Moo said:


> Yeah I understand what you mean. But I'm thinking, just try the softpaws while I see how she's going, I can try and "train" her to use the other scratch posts and stuff and then hopefully she won't attempt to do it to the sofa (but in the meanwhile if she did it wouldnt matter as she'd have the softpaws on). Then I can take them off her and leave her to it, hopefully by then she will only be scratching her own stuff. Do I make sense? Or not? lol.


I am not sure of this (obviously, as I haven't used softapws) but I think they remove (most of) the urge to scrach, so I think you might have problems diverting them from your furniture to their furnture when they are wearing them???? This was more or less what my friend reported... fine when they were on, back to square one when they come off. And it sounds kinda logical in my mind. Thinking how cats think kinda thing. And my friend is an experienced fosterer, so I am sure she did all the "training him in the meantime" stuff when the softclaws were on.



Minny-Moo said:


> The front room/lounge door can be shut when we are out, and she will still have the run of a 3 bed semi house. We have got leather backed chairs which will be in our dining room and as its like open planned there is no door, so these will probably be scratched. I just need to show her that her own stuff is much better to scratch, by doing what you said.


well I did tackle a similar problem with a new leather sofa (my cat's weren't used to leather so that was a whole new thing for them to explore and scratch) for a while I just covered the sofa with an old throw when I wasn't home, then when I was home, I used normal training techniques like a short sharp *no!!!!* coupled with divertion (immediately attracting them to their own scratcing things with the help of a fishingrod toy or a laser pointer). It did work, but it is time consuming. Or stick your dining room chairs into the living room before you go to work??? If he can't get in there anyway, well he can't damage anything in there. And it wouldn't be a permanent thing, it just buys you more time to solve his problem.



Minny-Moo said:


> Yeah we have stairs
> 
> Are your cats indoor cats?


Yep, my own two are indoor cats and all my rescues and fosters are indoor when they are with me (when they get rehomed I have little say about how the end up). My own two cats do have their own outdoor cat-run that they can go in and out of as they please, and I do have scratch things in there too including a bloody tree trunk, lol ... however, they come inside when they need a good scratch!!

Seriously.... give a cat a choice of scratching on a selction of suitably sized sisaal, banana leaf or wicker structure... or scratching your couch and dining room chairs, and I promise you they will choose the sisaal/wicker/banana leaf ... but they keywords there are "suitably sized" and "selection of". One scratch pole in the living room and one upstairs really won't cut it (in my opinion and with my own 2 cats).

I'll make those photos soon... promise.


----------



## Minny-Moo (Jul 12, 2010)

Ahh thanks  Will look forward to seeing the photo's.

I was under the impression that cats are generally unaware they have soft paws on, and could continue scratching as normal without actually doing any damage.


----------



## Wendy1969 (Jun 4, 2010)

I've had some success using Feliway to stop them scratching at the sofa but you do need to re-spray the scratched area regularly. It has stopped Riley and Chester but Alfie is a law unto himself. Have you considered a run for the new garden? You can make one quite cheaply. Some companies do ready-made panels and you can configure them however best suits your needs. I have Katzecure myself and can't recommend it highly enough, but it is expensive. Good luck with your move :thumbsup:


----------



## peecee (Jun 28, 2010)

Tje said:


> Last question... your new home... does it have stairs in it??? (asking this as I have a brilliant trick to turn stairways into a cheap and very effective scratching post)


Hi,

Would love to hear more about this trick! Thanks.


----------



## lorilu (Sep 6, 2009)

Most cats need something bigger than those silly little two foot "scratching posts" that look like a ...er...finger pointing up. They need something solid, and tall, so they climb on it, jump up on it, and can stretch out when they scratch. 

In addition, offering several different scratchers will give more success. My cats have a play house I build them covered in berber carpet and a tall sturdy post (42 inches) covered in sisal, both for vertical scratching. They also have flat floor scratchers, and curved horizontal scratchers. They use them all, though each cat has his or her own preferences.

When you see kitty scratching the furniture, gently pick her up and bring her over to HER furniture and show her how to use it, by scratching on it yourself. Cats are the original copy cats, if you scratch on her cat furniture, eventually she will, too. Do it every day, she'll get it sooner or later. It just takes a little time. Patience and consistency, gentle and loving, will win the day and save your couch.

Integrate the cat furniture in your interactive Games you play with her each night by dragging her string on a stick up on it, or tossing her crumpled paper ball up on it, and so forth. This way she will get in the habit of digging her claws into her furniture, and will discover how much she likes it. 

A tree with several different surfaces is best, many cats really like sisal especially (but not all, I do have one who prefers the carpet covered scratchers).

Cats are trainable. All my cats are trained to use their furniture, not the couch.

A cat enclosure in the garden is a great idea and a safe way for kitty to get some out side time but it will not protect your furniture. Just teach her what you want her to do. 

.


----------



## Tje (Jan 16, 2010)

peecee said:


> Hi,
> 
> Would love to hear more about this trick! Thanks.


right, let's see if I remember how to attach pics...

the structure is dead easy to do, cheap and effective for active, climby cats... 1 big long "fence post" from floor to ceiling (can be fixed to the wood of the stairway, or to the ceiling, I did both) then simply cover with sisaal rope. The fence post can be the cheapest of the cheap, a couple of pounds at most. If you wanted a wider structure, use two or more fence posts screwed together then cover with sisaal (doesn't have to be sisaal rope you cover with, can be carpet or sisaal matting or... whatever your imagination can conjure up.


----------



## Tje (Jan 16, 2010)

lorilu said:


> Most cats need something bigger than those silly little two foot "scratching posts" that look like a ...er...finger pointing up. They need something solid, and tall, so they climb on it, jump up on it, and can stretch out when they scratch.
> 
> In addition, offering several different scratchers will give more success. My cats have a play house I build them covered in berber carpet and a tall sturdy post (42 inches) covered in sisal, both for vertical scratching. They also have flat floor scratchers, and curved horizontal scratchers. They use them all, though each cat has his or her own preferences.
> 
> ...


can I just say that I agree with every word in this post... follow Lorilu's advice and cats scratching your furniture will be a thing of the past. Pay special attention to her first sentence, when I hear of people with scratchy-furniture cats, inevitably they have either not enough scratching surfaces for their cats or ones that are way too small.


----------



## Tje (Jan 16, 2010)

this one is soooo easy and I have a few variations on the same theme in different "dead" spaces in my home... just a thin long piece of old wood covered in sisaal and screwed onto any "dead" piece of wall. You can buy things like this in pet shops, but a) they are not hihg enough to allow grown cats to stretch and b) they get wrecked in no time as the covering is not sturdy enough. Nothing could be cheaper or easier.


----------



## Tje (Jan 16, 2010)

this one is a "bought from pet store" scratching thing ... but it's banana leaf and my cats wreck that in no time. So I plan to recover it in sisaal rope very soon. However, all you'd need to make this is 4 planks of cheap wood, roughly 50x50cm.... attach them together in any old way (L shapred brackets being the easiest way), doesn't have to be nice or tidy workmanship as the rope will be going on top. Voila, you have a ready made scratch cube. They can scratch at it, they can lie in it, they can lie on top of it, they can jump on and in and around it. Very effective. 

I am reallllllly beginning to feel like Valerie Singleton now  (Anthea Turner for all you young ones, lol)


----------



## Tje (Jan 16, 2010)

Minimoo, this one is taken in my kitten/foster room, I made the legs of my (pill giving/ bottle-feeding/ grooming) work surface from an old fence post covered in sisaal... you can do this to the legs of your dining table and diningroom chairs. It is temporary and it can come off, lol.


----------



## Tje (Jan 16, 2010)

I am not going to post all these pics or I will be here all day, lol, and bore you all to death! 

other ideas... a sisaal door mat (say size roughly 100x50cm).... have one lying flat on the floor and attach one to a vertical surface like a door or a wall

wicker laundry baskets... I have about 4 of these, different shapes and sizes... useful for laundry but also for recycling stuff, old papers etc... the cats love them to lie on and to scratch at. Plus they are alos useful to me to store things in

a tree trunk... I don't have massive ones... but I have two that have a circumference of maybe a small tea plate and they are about a meter high. You can easily screw a (30x30cm) base on the bottom of the trunk and the same on the top and they have a place to lie on. 

ok... over and out from "scratch posts R US"


----------



## Paddypaws (May 4, 2010)

Where do you get the sisal rope from?


----------



## Tje (Jan 16, 2010)

Paddypaws said:


> Where do you get the sisal rope from?


Paddypaws, I live in a different country so it's pretty pointless me saying where mine came from.

I have family and friends still in the UK and I know they have bought bales of sisal rope (as well as sisal mats and runners for their cats) off of ebay in the UK.

btw... just to add... there are many different qualities of sisal rope. The one generally used on store bought scratching trees is very light in colour, almost white, and it isn't very "hairy". That stuff is great but it costs a fair bit more than the non-bleached stuff I buy and it's only the looks you are paying the extra for, both are equally sturdy. I buy mine (the cheaper, non bleached quality) on a massive big bale which has about 450 meters of rope on it and it costs around £10. 450 meters of rope goes a *long* way!

The only thing you have to watch out for with sisal for cats is that it has no "coating" on it that could be dangerous to cats... but most don't have coatings anyway.


----------



## Minny-Moo (Jul 12, 2010)

Well I have to say your inventions are genious! 

Bet your cats love them! 

Thanks for sharing them with me to give me some ideas.


----------



## Minny-Moo (Jul 12, 2010)

Soft Claws and Soft Paws now available in the UK - The Pet Care Accessory for cats and dogs' destructive scratching

Some really good positive feedback about softpaws here.


----------



## hobbs2004 (Mar 12, 2010)

But then again they wouldn't really put negative feedback on there, would they 

Joking aside, don't you think just adding some more scratchable surfaces and teaching your cat to use those instead of your furniture is a better way forward? I presume these need to come off should you let your cat out in the new house?


----------



## Minny-Moo (Jul 12, 2010)

hobbs2004 said:


> But then again they wouldn't really put negative feedback on there, would they
> 
> Joking aside, don't you think just adding some more scratchable surfaces and teaching your cat to use those instead of your furniture is a better way forward? I presume these need to come off should you let your cat out in the new house?


Very true , but there are a number of review sites which have good feedback also which aren't linked to the official website.

I still plan to teach her to use her scratching posts. She won't be going out in the new house, so that wouldn't be a problem.


----------



## Colette (Jan 2, 2010)

Sorry if I'm repeating what anyone else has said but the one thing screaming out to me is the "only one scratching post".

I would put money on that being the problem.

As someone has mentioned, most normal posts are too short or not sturdy enough for your average cat - who won't bother to use them if they are not good enough.
Cats also have varying preferences for scratching surfaces - inc different materials, different angles etc.

We have two cats in a one bed flat and they have a good range of scratchers - a large (door height) cat tree with lots of scratching posts, a flat scratch mat that goes on the floor, a cat pyramid which provides scratching at an angle (one side is carpet, one side sisal) and cardbaord boxes (plus the cardboard inner of the pyramid).
Jones tends to use the cat tree posts or the outside of the pyramid, Bob loves shredding cardboard, and both use the mat.

Your first thing should be to get a variety of scratching toys.

Another thing to consider is that scratching can also be use to mark boundaries of territory - hence why some cats scratch near doors. It might be worth placing the toys at doorways or anywhere the cat usually scratches. they even do flat curved posts that are designed to go round the corners of sofas!

Once you have enough scratchers you need to get the cat to use them. If you catch her scratching something inappropriate, remove her and take her to a scratch toy. Do not attempt to demoonstrate its use by dragging her claws down it - this will likely put her off for good!
You can also try lacing the posts with catnip.

I don't know much about softpaws, having never used them myself or known anyone that does, but they do seem a very extreme solution to a problem as minor as scratching furniture.


----------



## Janee (May 4, 2008)

At the risk of sounding simplistic......

Cats like to scratch horizontally too. That can ruin your carpet. 

What I have found is that a carpet off cut (local car boot sales/ carpet vendors) or a sisal or rough plastic mat is ideal. They can claw to their heart's content and you can replace if need be.

You can encourage by rubbing in cat nip too but once they start scrathing/clawing i believe scent glands take over.


----------



## peecee (Jun 28, 2010)

Tje said:


> right, let's see if I remember how to attach pics...
> 
> the structure is dead easy to do, cheap and effective for active, climby cats... 1 big long "fence post" from floor to ceiling (can be fixed to the wood of the stairway, or to the ceiling, I did both) then simply cover with sisaal rope. The fence post can be the cheapest of the cheap, a couple of pounds at most. If you wanted a wider structure, use two or more fence posts screwed together then cover with sisaal (doesn't have to be sisaal rope you cover with, can be carpet or sisaal matting or... whatever your imagination can conjure up.


Thanks so much for this! These are all great ideas and cheap too. I will be trying at least some of them at some point. I will let you know how i get on.


----------



## Minny-Moo (Jul 12, 2010)

Colette said:


> Sorry if I'm repeating what anyone else has said but the one thing screaming out to me is the "only one scratching post".
> 
> I would put money on that being the problem.
> 
> ...


To be honest, we have only got one scratching post because we are in a studio flat which is tiny. I thought one would be enough, perhaps that's my mistake. I already intend to by more for when we are in our house.
She has lots of toys and stuff to occupy her, so I need to make sure I get some more stuff she can scratch.

It might sound like a minor problem, but its not really as everything we have is ruined by Minny's scratching, and we purely don't want any of our new stuff ruined like this stuff is.

She does use the scratching post every day, without any problems, but its the other things she scratches meanwhile.

I just thought with softpaws on, I could show her and train her to use her own furniture. Then in between if she scratched something it wouldn't matter. They aren't going to harm her in anyway, and its not going to be for very long. Just until I know she is scratching her stuff and not ours.


----------



## Wendy1969 (Jun 4, 2010)

Personally I wouldn't bother with Softpaws, do you have to actually glue them onto the cats claws? I dont really know much about them, just what I've gathered from this thread. I have a gigantic scratch post/3 bed Pagoda combo from Kalven, along with another scratch post/ladder/bed combo, as well as a huge CatplayStation in the garden and they still like to have a little go on the sofa and the magazine rack is gradually being reduced to a pile of hairy string. Like others have already said they like different surfaces/textures. You can't have too many scratch posts! :thumbup:


----------



## Minny-Moo (Jul 12, 2010)

Wendy1969 said:


> Personally I wouldn't bother with Softpaws, do you have to actually glue them onto the cats claws? I dont really know much about them, just what I've gathered from this thread. I have a gigantic scratch post/3 bed Pagoda combo from Kalven, along with another scratch post/ladder/bed combo, as well as a huge CatplayStation in the garden and they still like to have a little go on the sofa and the magazine rack is gradually being reduced to a pile of hairy string. Like others have already said they like different surfaces/textures. You can't have too many scratch posts! :thumbup:


I've just copied abit below as It says here that the cat can still scratch and they have the same extension and retraction of their nails.

Most cats tolerate Soft Claws® extremely well. The vast majority of cats don't even know they are wearing them. Soft Claws® are extremely safe and non-toxic. The adhesive is the same type of adhesive used in many veterinary procedures. The caps and dried adhesive are non-toxic and completely safe. Soft Claws® will not interfere with the normal extension and retraction of your cats nails.
Your cat can still scratch with Soft Claws® allowing normal stretching and scratching behavior to continue.


----------



## hobbs2004 (Mar 12, 2010)

Minny-Moo said:


> I've just copied abit below as It says here that the cat can still scratch and they have the same extension and retraction of their nails.
> 
> Most cats tolerate Soft Claws® extremely well. The vast majority of cats don't even know they are wearing them. Soft Claws® are extremely safe and non-toxic. The adhesive is the same type of adhesive used in many veterinary procedures. The caps and dried adhesive are non-toxic and completely safe. Soft Claws® will not interfere with the normal extension and retraction of your cats nails.
> Your cat can still scratch with Soft Claws® allowing normal stretching and scratching behavior to continue.


Then I am baffled how they will help? Am I missing something?


----------



## Tje (Jan 16, 2010)

hobbs2004 said:


> Then I am baffled how they will help? Am I missing something?


from what I heard from the lady who used them (and I hasten to add, I sympathised with her use of them... she had a feral who who was destroying her foster room. major probs, not minor ... and posibly coupled with serious agression towards her)

well I think the cats still scratches, but they can't damage anything??? The nail is blunt.

A bit like dear Hobbs, me trying to scratch your eyes out while I have thimbles on 8 fingers and 2 thumbs.

I can do "it" but you don't feel pain or suffer damage.

Do you kinda see what I mean???

I seriously doubt (OP) that you can "train" your cat not to scratch inappropriately when he is wearing these things. If that is the case, then they really are totally useless as you will be back to square one the minute you remove them.

I also worry about the frustration level they will create (for a cat who is probably quite frustrated already, and hence has developed this "problem" as a way to deal with his (sorry, HER, lol) frustrations).

I would feel very frustrateed with 10 thimbles on my digits... and I am not a scratcher, lol.

Also don't forget, as the cats nails grows and sheds anturally ... the softpaws fall off with them. I for one never know when a cat is about to shed a nail. If this happens when you are at work (in bed, whatever) you still have a cat with a behavior problem and a nail that isn't blunted. So you still have a problem.

These softpaw things are definitely a step up from declawing, and where declawing is still a popular practice (it's illegal in western Europe) I would give them my tacit support. However, they are no substitute for just addressing the underlying reason(s) for the problem.

And I do worry about these things escalating frustration levels of already frustrated cats.


----------



## hobbs2004 (Mar 12, 2010)

Great post Tje, but that is what I mean. The cat will continue scratching but it cannot do any harm. So as soon as they come off she will continue scratching and then they will do harm.


----------



## Tje (Jan 16, 2010)

hobbs2004 said:


> Great post Tje, but that is what I mean. The cat will continue scratching but it cannot do any harm. So as soon as they come off she will continue scratching and then they will do harm.


ehhhh basically.... yes! lol.

they are treating a symptom and not adressing the cause at all.

it would be like constantly running around our homes with a fire extinguisher and a garden hose, putting out minor blazes... when logic would dictate we have to stop throwing lit cigarette butts in the bin.


----------



## Minny-Moo (Jul 12, 2010)

I undertand all what your saying, I might just use them as a safeguard, for a short period - if I use them at all.

I don't think you fully understand what I mean though. 

What we mean is, we will put them on her for a short while when we get our new furniture, to be sure that she is only using her own scratching posts and toys. If I see her scratch something she shouldn't I will tell her no, and take her to her furniture. (And even though she has scratched our new furniture, she wouldn't have done damage). I will continue to do this until she knows not to scratch our stuff. Then I would take them off her, apparently they are unaware they even have them on. I'm not harming her in anyway. We have had this for 6 years, now we finally have new stuff coming I want to give this a go. I'm not saying we are going to get on with them. and I'm not saying its going to be a permanent thing.


----------



## Minny-Moo (Jul 12, 2010)

Tje said:


> ehhhh basically.... yes! lol.
> 
> they are treating a symptom and not adressing the cause at all.
> 
> it would be like constantly running around our homes with a fire extinguisher and a garden hose, putting out minor blazes... when logic would dictate we have to stop throwing lit cigarette butts in the bin.


Thats just what I'm doing though, I am addressing it. And in the meantime putting softclaws is just to prevent any damage that may occur.


----------



## Guest (Jul 15, 2010)

I wish you good luck but I really don't think you will ever stop them scratching, it's how they scent mark, and I don't think that your cat will understand that it can scratch the scratching posts but not the furniture.


----------



## Tje (Jan 16, 2010)

Minny-Moo said:


> Thats just what I'm doing though, I am addressing it. And in the meantime putting softclaws is just to prevent any damage that may occur.


sorry, totally disagree with you. I don't think you grasp quite how this will probably pan out. How cats work. You really aren't tackling the underlying problem at all... you are just protecting your furniture. You have this idea that you will somehow train him when he is wearing softclaws..

now just using my logic (and without sounding like I am blowing my own trumpet, my experience with cats)... and going by the hands-on experience of the experienced foster mum I mentioned earlier... I don't think you're going to be able to do this.

My sister bites her nails... I could stop that behavior by taping up her hands up for a week (or a month, lol) but as soon as I take the tape off... she is still a nail biter as the underlying problem hasn't been addressed.

I could be wrong... but on this one, I doubt it.


----------



## lorilu (Sep 6, 2009)

Minny-Moo said:


> I undertand all what your saying, I might just use them as a safeguard, for a short period - if I use them at all.
> 
> I don't think you fully understand what I mean though.
> 
> What we mean is, we will put them on her for a short while when we get our new furniture, to be sure that she is only using her own scratching posts and toys. If I see her scratch something she shouldn't I will tell her no, and take her to her furniture. (And even though she has scratched our new furniture, she wouldn't have done damage). I will continue to do this until she knows not to scratch our stuff. Then I would take them off her, apparently they are unaware they even have them on. I'm not harming her in anyway. We have had this for 6 years, now we finally have new stuff coming I want to give this a go. I'm not saying we are going to get on with them. and I'm not saying its going to be a permanent thing.


This, really, is what they should be used for, training purposes. The only draw back I can see with this plan is that since she can't sink her claws into her own furniture either, she won't get how satisfying the sisal can be.

However I do think it's worth a try this way. The soft paws won't stay on long, a couple weeks at the most, so as they fall off be sure to trim the bared claw, because it will be long and sharp, and will get hung up on things, which could cause her pain, or even to pull the claw out.

There are other ways you can protect your furniture as you train her. Covering the furniture where she is likely to scratch with sheeting pinned on, or double sided sticky tape, or even boards or plexiglass can be done too.


----------



## Wendy1969 (Jun 4, 2010)

Wouldn't it be a better idea to just lightly clip the cats claws every couple of days? From what I understand this is an 'indoor' cat so doesn't need her claws sharp for protection purposes - in addition to supplying the cat with lots of interesting scratchy-type things as other people have previously suggested (sisal posts, sisal door mat, carpet scraps, etc)?


----------



## Tje (Jan 16, 2010)

Wendy1969 said:


> Wouldn't it be a better idea to just lightly clip the cats claws every couple of days? From what I understand this is an 'indoor' cat so doesn't need her claws sharp for protection purposes - in addition to supplying the cat with lots of interesting scratchy-type things as other people have previously suggested (sisal posts, sisal door mat, carpet scraps, etc)?


that's what I would do too.


----------



## Minny-Moo (Jul 12, 2010)

lorilu said:


> This, really, is what they should be used for, training purposes. The only draw back I can see with this plan is that since she can't sink her claws into her own furniture either, she won't get how satisfying the sisal can be.
> 
> However I do think it's worth a try this way. The soft paws won't stay on long, a couple weeks at the most, so as they fall off be sure to trim the bared claw, because it will be long and sharp, and will get hung up on things, which could cause her pain, or even to pull the claw out.
> 
> There are other ways you can protect your furniture as you train her. Covering the furniture where she is likely to scratch with sheeting pinned on, or double sided sticky tape, or even boards or plexiglass can be done too.


Thanks for the back up. 

That's all I'm doing, - giving it a try. It can't do any harm can it?


----------



## Tje (Jan 16, 2010)

Minny-Moo said:


> It can't do any harm can it?


hmmmm, debateable... but since the alternatives can definitely do no harm... why not just try them first?

(alternatives, short nails, plenty of scrach surface, and a little encouragement to use them)


----------



## Tje (Jan 16, 2010)

Minny-Moo said:


> Thanks for the back up.
> 
> That's all I'm doing, - giving it a try. It can't do any harm can it?


I think your mind is made up, that youre looking for confirmation that your decision is the correct one more -- as opposed to just looking for honest feedback, but hey  

After a very quick google can it hurt to try I found a good few positives to confirm that they could.

- cats having to be sedated to have them applied
-cats not being able to retract their nails if the sheath was too long when applied
-cats being very frustrated/stressed when wearing them
-cats getting very stressed by the application process 
-cats not being interested in scratching while wearing them (this might really appeal to some owners, but sorry, cats by their very nature are designed to claw and scratch, so while a cat showing no interest in using its nails at all might appeal to some owners, it is totally going against the nature of the animal)
-cats having problems walking while wearing them
-cats pulling them off prematurely so the sheath would spilt, very difficult to remove the pieces left behind, damaging the nail underneath
-damage to cat nails due to the glue
-indoor cats accidentally getting outside while wearing their softclaws and not being able to defend themselves ( I know your cat is indoor, but you are moving to a new house, the chance of escape is higher at that point than at any other)

and I think the most shocking thing I read while googling was the length of time people used them, 2 years, 3 years, and the many I love them and cant imagine not using them on my cat . I dont have a good word to say about that. But I understand why they become a permanent fixture, because softclaws dont address the underlying problem that could be solved very easily by keeping the nails short, giving the cat some more surfaces of her own on which to scratch and a little bit of time and effort spent training the cat. So because many owners find them a quick fix when theyre on and back to square one when theyre removed they become permanent fixtures.

I also think that a move of house for a cat is stressful enough with possibly adding to it with these things that in and of itself can surely be seen as possibly harmful?

I could understand it if your cat was a semi-feral prone to badly scratching people and they were used as a temporary measure while socializing the cat or medicating him, not just because (like your cat) hes a normal cat exhibiting normal (easily remedied) cat behavior. .

I can understand that they are very popular with cat owners in the states, there I would probably support their use as they are (as I said earlier) a definite step-up from declawing (which is fairly common there still I believe), but here it is a step down from our common practice of just giving cats enough surfaces to claw on and training them a bit.


----------



## Paddypaws (May 4, 2010)

Tje said:


> Paddypaws, I live in a different country so it's pretty pointless me saying where mine came from.
> 
> I have family and friends still in the UK and I know they have bought bales of sisal rope (as well as sisal mats and runners for their cats) off of ebay in the UK.


Ok...it WAS a bit of a dumb question in retrospect, but I was looking for a general idea ie hardware store or ebay.
I did actually go straight out and buy some....that picture of your staircase inspired me as I have a similar open staircase which already has various toys dangling off it. I have wrapped the bottom two spindles with sisal ( 10m at 75p a metre and I still need about the same again, so not as cheap as you managed it )
So far the kitten still prefers the armchair, but I am going to jazz up the post with some feathers and see if that swings it!


----------



## hobbs2004 (Mar 12, 2010)

Ohh pics please paddypaws


----------



## Tje (Jan 16, 2010)

Paddypaws said:


> Ok...it WAS a bit of a dumb question in retrospect, but I was looking for a general idea ie hardware store or ebay.
> I did actually go straight out and buy some....that picture of your staircase inspired me as I have a similar open staircase which already has various toys dangling off it. I have wrapped the bottom two spindles with sisal ( 10m at 75p a metre and I still need about the same again, so not as cheap as you managed it )
> So far the kitten still prefers the armchair, but I am going to jazz up the post with some feathers and see if that swings it!


Paddypaws, it wasnt a dumb question at all!!! Most posters on here are UK based so woulda been able to help you. I bought mine in a chinese market in the middle east, lol. No help at all. haha

I just took a quick look on ebay UK

*150m/490ft NATURAL SISAL ROPE STRING HEAVY DUTY PACKING
£4.99 for the bale of sisal rope
and free postage within the UK

the sellers name is essentials_w6 and he has 99.7% positive feedback *

but if you just type in sisal rope in the ebay search and select UK sellers you get loads of hits.

just remember the bleached white stuff is prettier but is a lot more expensive.

I'm glad someone got some use of out of my ideas... I so love saving money! Hope you manage to something creative with your armchair (if you want to, post a pic and I'll see if I can put my creative head on and maybe think of something??)


----------



## Guest (Jul 16, 2010)

I whole heartedly agree with Tje post on the use of soft claws, I think as cat owner (pah that a complete misonomer ) that you have to expect a certain degree of scratching of the furniture, the shedding of hair, the odd accident when young with litter training and the joy of them finding the most awkward, noticable soft light covered area to hock up a furball, but to stop them through covering their nails I just don't think is right sorry.


----------



## Paddy Paws (Jul 11, 2010)

I wouldn't use soft paws. I can recommend Feliway though or you can try a Beaphar Cat Calming collar which contains the feline appeasing pheremone. Your can may need more stimulation and providing sisal or similar scratching post (with catnip) may well help. Any form of mental stimulation, or physical will help too. For example: treat balls, and brain training toys.


----------



## Minny-Moo (Jul 12, 2010)

Tje said:


> I think your mind is made up, that youre looking for confirmation that your decision is the correct one more -- as opposed to just looking for honest feedback, but hey
> 
> After a very quick google can it hurt to try I found a good few positives to confirm that they could.
> 
> ...


Thank-you all for your posts about this I have done alot of thinking about it, and I have come to the decision that I will not be using Softpaws on my cat. I am however going to train her, and I will use softpaws as a last resort if I don't see any changes long term.

Thank-you Tje for your posts, it has made me come to my senses 

I have got Hubby into this way of thinking too! 

When we move to our house, I will cover our sofa's and chairs with a sheet or something, and keep the lounge door closed when we are not in. I will also sort out some more scratching furniture and stuff for Minny, so she has lots more of her own stuff to scratch and more to keep her occupied.

Thank-You once again for putting up with me, and pursuading me to do the right thing.


----------



## Colette (Jan 2, 2010)

I'm really glad to hear you've changed your mind! :thumbup:

Definitely try some cardbaord stuff - it does get messy with shredded cardboard everywhere but Bob especially uses cardboard for the vast majority of his scratching. A large thick cardboard box will do.

Let us know how it goes - and good luck!


----------



## Minny-Moo (Jul 12, 2010)

Colette said:


> Let us know how it goes - and good luck!


Thanks - I will do!


----------



## Paddypaws (May 4, 2010)

Minny moo...if you are using cheapish throws over the sofas then you could spray the _throw_ with some citrus essetial oil....cats hate it. This way you will not stain the sofa, but even the linger of the smell in that area should put the cat off scratching there.
Tje....I have ordered some more sisal rope from ebay so will be making up another little scratching area as soon as it arrives.:thumbup:
As regards the scratched arm chair, well I think it is too late to be rescued, but as I always buy my furniture with the cats in mind, it has a removeable cover so a quick trip to Ikea will sort that!



Edit....Oh wow! I managed to get pics sorted!


----------



## Tje (Jan 16, 2010)

Paddypaws said:


> Tje....I have ordered some more sisal rope from ebay so will be making up another little scratching area as soon as it arrives.:thumbup:
> As regards the scratched arm chair, well I think it is too late to be rescued, but as I always buy my furniture with the cats in mind, it has a removeable cover so a quick trip to Ikea will sort that!


well done Paddypaws!!! It looks brillant!!! :thumbup:

And ditto... all my furniture is bought with cats in mind.. lol... the person who invents a cat proof couch will be a multimillionaire.


----------



## Tje (Jan 16, 2010)

Minny-Moo said:


> I have come to the decision that I will not be using Softpaws on my cat. I am however going to train her, and I will use softpaws as a last resort if I don't see any changes long term.


great news...  keep us posted how it goes. All the best with the house move!!


----------



## Minny-Moo (Jul 12, 2010)

Tje said:


> great news...  keep us posted how it goes. All the best with the house move!!


Thanks I will do!


----------



## Cuddlecat (Jul 8, 2010)

Hi just thought I would chuck in my experiences. We had two kittens who were kept in as we lived in a flat. We moved to a house when they were two and a half. We kept them in for about a month so they would get used to their own surroundings, and one day the door was open a little to the back garden and they just hopped out. They ran straight back in again at the sight of a bird  but they took to it in no time. Tbh we used to have problems with them sometimes messing in the wrong place in the flat, since they have had the freedom to roam they have never done it again. If you are moving somewhere that is away from a busy road, I say let her out, but let her do it in her own time. Hope it helps.


----------



## Minny-Moo (Jul 12, 2010)

Cuddlecat said:


> Hi just thought I would chuck in my experiences. We had two kittens who were kept in as we lived in a flat. We moved to a house when they were two and a half. We kept them in for about a month so they would get used to their own surroundings, and one day the door was open a little to the back garden and they just hopped out. They ran straight back in again at the sight of a bird  but they took to it in no time. Tbh we used to have problems with them sometimes messing in the wrong place in the flat, since they have had the freedom to roam they have never done it again. If you are moving somewhere that is away from a busy road, I say let her out, but let her do it in her own time. Hope it helps.


We will be on a fairly busy road, as there is access to 2 schools. So I just don't feel it would be safe to let her out.


----------

