I would say to use the soft paws but it sounds like you've tried that. Still, it might be worth e-mailing/calling them to see if they have a solution for biting the caps off. Declawing is definitely cruel. It's actually a first knuckle amputation. Having them removed actually leads to balance and back problems. If a cat is declawed, it is best to do it when they're kittens. If they're over a year old, it's bad because they've already learned their balance and are used to doing everything with their claws. Cats are supposed to hate aluminum foil. If you're willing deal with an eyesore for a few weeks, you can line the edges of your furniture with foil until they learn not to do it. They go to scratch, realize they hate the feel of it and stop. I think there might also be a kind of double sided tape that's supposed to do the same thing.
I have two cats. I was always a DOG guy who always had DOGs before my girls and wife decided to adopt ONE cat, and then another. I just like the fact that they keep themselves clean and pee and poop in the litter box, and there's no urgency to walk them. We're out of the house most of the day on the weekdays and the weekends, so it would be cruel for us to have dogs and NOT walk them or do well for them. Anyway and in regards to the cat, I never ran into the problems you had, but I know my cats DID scratch my young girls many a times, so we did the declawing and the fixing. We didn't have to consult anyone. We saw it justly. When kids are getting hurt, it's time to SNIP. Few things: declawing is proper when there are reasons to do it, not cruel in all instances. If you've already noticed that the cat is doing harm more than good with the claws on, by all means declaw. "Fixing" the cat to prevent offspring isn't cruel either, it helps control the pet population. Don't you watch The Price Is Right ? You can add CAT-NIP to the scratching posts, and add cat repellent to the items the cat is scratching. This will attract the cat to the former, and keep away from the latter. If you decide to let the cats roam around, beware of fleas, diseases, or other things they might bring into your house. You did a noble thing to let the cat into your world, because you love your girlfriend. You also love neatness and respect, and the cat was doing neither. It is only just to come to an agreement to fix these things together. I disagree. We have Cosby, a then 10-year-old cat when declawed, who adjusted well to declawing. He was a loving cat and still is. I am just suggesting what has worked for me and my family (which also includes both cats). I hope your girlfriend agrees to save your relationship by saying "You allowed me to bring the cat when you didn't need to, now we must agree." Good luck.
Tried the tape deal too. She stayed away from the sofa for about a day, then went right back to it. Tape didnt bother it. I guess you could just say this cat is the devil... By the way, Cannonball, your sig just made my brain hurt. Especially if you combine it with last year against Utah...but thats talk for the GARM.
Their back legs are much stronger than their front. The vet told me that when a cat fights he uses the back claws to strike rather than the front. That's why they try to pounce on something and you will see them striking with their back legs.
The problem is that it's much easier to train them when they're young. The older they get, the harder it gets. We taught my cats when they were young by using water guns filled with water and a little vinegar. When they started to scratch something, we'd shoot them with the water gun. Eventually they'd go to scratch and we wouldn't have to shoot them. They'd hear the sound of the gun and then go running. Eventually they just stopped trying to scratch period.
Chuck 4, Have you tried a squirt bottle with "bitter apple" scent (or something like that)? They hate the smell, while it doesn't really smell so much to humans. We've been very lucky with our cats. They only like to scratch on trader joe's cardboard double-wide scratchers. The key with cats is that the negative reinforcement has to be absolutely simultaneous to their bad behavior, and it needs to come out of the blue. If they see that you are punishing them, they don't get it, and wonder why you're such an a-hole human. It usually just makes their behavior worse. That's why the can of coins, or bad scents, etc, works better than you intervening. I have friends at work that swear by softpaws, but that seems even more humiliating to the human owners than owning a cat in the first place.
We got tape that we put on the edges of the couch and the cats don't like it because they can't dig their claws into it. But apparently that doesn't work for everybody (and there are some places where the tape doesn't really fit or stick). We also briefly used a spray that had a scent that's supposed to repel cats. It worked for us for about an hour after spraying, but after that, it apparently wore off enough that the cats didn't care anymore.
The cat is a pu$$y and never leaves the yard actually, it always stays close enough where it can jump back through the door. I wish it would leave the yard for the middle of the street when a truck comes passing by.
We clip our two cats' nails once every two weeks... it takes about 1 minute per cat. The bitter apple spray is also a good suggestion (provided that you're there when she does the scratching).
Great stuff Swoly. Thanks. Will look into the repellent/catnip idea if I cant break her on the declawing. She is saying now that she doesnt like her attacking the dog like that and will "look into" getting her declawed, but she is apprehensive because if we ever break up she would regret of having her declawed. I'd regret having to go buy $1500 worth of new furniture...
Just swap it out for a dog. I've never heard of a dog destroying furniture or slippers, taking dumps on your carpet, or anything like that...
'Declawing' is a nice euphemism. What they do is cut off each individual finger down to the first knuckle (i.e. they cut off each fingertip). I know several people who have had cats declawed and it has caused severe negative behavioral changes as well. It is not minor surgery and it is not a panacea.
But panacea is a euphemism. My cat did not suffer any long term effects. She does wake me up at 7 each morning while she performs her daily bedroom sprint leaving a trail of carpet fragments.
