Claw caps - what do you think?

[Gillian Harvey]

My lot destroyed several fabric settees, shredded the corners LOL! So I invested in a leather chair and settee, which they've also used their claws on - BUT, at least it doesnt shred quite like fabric does LOL! 

[clarenmax]

You should all see the state of my old sofa lol, the fabric was ripped off, then through to the foam, now you can see the wooden frame underneath - luckily it was an Argos cheapy!  I discovered the sticky strips to stop them scratching too late, but its working on our £800 sofa (so far anyway  )

The best thing I did was get Max the Ancol Fatboy Scratching Post, its HUGE, and he can stand right up and scratch really hard without it falling over or anything.  Best £30 I ever spent 

[Stuart]

I'm on my seventh settee, and my second living room carpet 
I used to shout and tell them off for scratching the furniture, but I soon accepted that that just goes with being owned by Cat's 
although Misty has been very good over the last few years, and everytime he's had a dump, He comes running flat out into the
living room and falls out with his scratch post 

But like Ems, misty has tooken a dislike to my textured wallpaper too, maybe My Master thinks it's time I changed the decor ??   

[barney]

I have a wooden bed that is raised of the floor, decided to turn the mattress over at the weekend only to find that my £700 mattress is now worth about 70p due to the terrors clawing it from beneath But thats cats for you, it's certainly not the end of the world and I certainly would not put anything unnatural on their little paws. 

[Reynard]

Well I have recently discovered that my two have shredded a rather large hole in one of my armchairs...

 

Ah heck, it's an old chair and a throw camouflages the hole from casual inspections. 

[Mark]

I can recommend velvet - we expected it to be shredded like all the other sofas but for some reason, none of them are interested in it 

Maybe our cats are chavs as they prefer the Ikea one 

[fluffybunny]

Maybe Susanne! - but that goes for all of us here I reckon LOL! 

 

I don't understand why you'd get a kitten of all things if you had a super-expensive sofa you didn't want ruined.  If you were that desperate for a cat + sofa, you'd hunt out a rescue with an adult cat without a history of shredding stuff, wouldn't you?   

[Gillian Harvey]

[ I just dont' understand why so many people think a piece of furniture is more important than their cat.  Or does that line of thinking put me firmly in the crazy cat lady camp?! 

Maybe Susanne! - but that goes for all of us here I reckon LOL! 

[fluffybunny]

It's a UK site and the person is in the UK - but the product is an american product so clearly marketed in that manner.   There's even a paragraph of nonsense on there about having unfulfilling relationships based on fear with your cat, all because cats have claws and scratch

They tend to be something used in the States cos its the option to the other thing that I will not mention on here!

Yeah I said that as well - she was saying that the website says that lots of vets use them so they must be ok, so I said that is probably either because (a) they're in the US and it's the lesser of the evils, and/or (b) it's a quote taken out of context and vets actually use them for medical purposes.  Personally I think (c) many vets recommend them because they're a brilliant product for preventing your kitty from scratching furniture, is not the case...

In any case, I think I'm on her 'ignore' list now, and she's certainly on mine, so peace will once again reign there  

[Susanne (urbantigers)]

Still an interesting debate raging over on the other forum though!   I suggested that kittens+scratching is an occupational hazard and if you can't cope with normal behaviour of a certain type of animal without having to resort to gluing things to itl, then don't get that type of animal.  Didn't go down too well 

Is it an american site?  I really don't know why, but so many people from the US (on other forums, yahoo answers etc) seem to have this problem with scratching.  I just dont' really get it, tbh.  Cats scratch.  It's an essential behaviour.  Most can be trained to use scratch posts if you persevere with geting several and finding out what sort they prefer, but if they don't then you just live with it.  What's a sofa compared to a living thing?  Does a sofa greet you when you come home every day or cuddle up with you when you're feeling down or ill?  I don't think so.  I just dont' understand why so many people think a piece of furniture is more important than their cat.  Or does that line of thinking put me firmly in the crazy cat lady camp?! 

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

This as you can see is a sensitive sunject here and agree with what has been said to date.

They tend to be something used in the States cos its the option to the other thing that I will not mention on here!

I so agree if you have a cat, dont expect it to act any different to how a cat acts......otherwise, yes prob a goldfish 

[Millys Mum]

Well I've just had a tirade of abuse from the lovely person in question, which I'm afraid simply reinforces my views 

Tell them they should rehome the kitten, no doubt it will be shut out once its big enough

[fluffybunny]

Well I've just had a tirade of abuse from the lovely person in question, which I'm afraid simply reinforces my views 

[ems]

Are these the soft paw thingies?

I think it depends on why you're using them.

If its to make your cat look pretty with coloured ones, or just because they scratch furniture, then I don't agree with them to be honest.

BUT, if they are for a medical purpose, i.e. the cat keeps scratching and injuring itself as my friend's cat has been doing, then I think they can be useful in such cases.

Agreed. If you have an expensive sofa and kittens....well, do so at your own peril!

Totally agree  At present my little darlings are delighting in ripping off the horrendous textured wallpaper in the hall of our new house. I don't care because it is getting stripped anyway but such is life and being a meowmy. Live with it or don't get them in the first place.

rant over 

[clarenmax]

I know we've said on here before, if you're that worried about your furniture, get a goldfish 

[JackSpratt]

Are these the soft paw thingies?

I think it depends on why you're using them.

If its to make your cat look pretty with coloured ones, or just because they scratch furniture, then I don't agree with them to be honest.

BUT, if they are for a medical purpose, i.e. the cat keeps scratching and injuring itself as my friend's cat has been doing, then I think they can be useful in such cases.

Agreed. If you have an expensive sofa and kittens....well, do so at your own peril!

[fluffybunny]

Just had a reply from Battersea - saying that they don't endorse or recommend this product and had no idea they were mentioned on the website!  Still an interesting debate raging over on the other forum though!   I suggested that kittens+scratching is an occupational hazard and if you can't cope with normal behaviour of a certain type of animal without having to resort to gluing things to itl, then don't get that type of animal.  Didn't go down too well 

[Susanne (urbantigers)]

I hate them unless they are for medical purposes, eg to stop a cat scratching himself and causing injury, or for the occasional use eg if a cat is aggressive as a temp measure while the problem is addressed, but I don't approve of them to prevent a kitchen scratching furniture.  I think they're a lazy sollution - better to train the cat to scratch a post or just accept that cats scratch and buy a cheap sofa!

[fluffybunny]

Thanks - the debate on the other forum is about their use to prevent a kitten from scratching a very expensive sofa.  I have actually just emailed Battersea to ask them whether it was their intention to endorse the product in this manner, or whether their approval was more for medical/severe behavioural problems.

[clarenmax]

Are these the soft paw thingies?

I think it depends on why you're using them.

If its to make your cat look pretty with coloured ones, or just because they scratch furniture, then I don't agree with them to be honest.

BUT, if they are for a medical purpose, i.e. the cat keeps scratching and injuring itself as my friend's cat has been doing, then I think they can be useful in such cases.

[Dawn F]

they probably use them in medical cases

[fluffybunny]

Having a debate on another forum about these - interested to see what you guys think...especially as one of the sites implies that the product is endorsed by Battersea Dogs & Cats home...

http://www.spuk.com/default.asp

http://www.spuk.com/about_softclaws.asp  (about half way down this page is the reference to Battersea)