Rocky, our clinic cat, and Clappison “mascot” came to us as a scrappy stray adult, he had several wounds from fights with other stray cats (hence the name!) as well as Feline Immunodeficiency Virus. His condition made him a difficult cat to find a home for, which is why we decided to keep him at the clinic where he could live a long and happy life.
Rocky spends most of his days lounging on various office chairs and countertops throughout the clinic, and when the mood strikes him he will cause whatever trouble he can get into! Rocky stays true to his name, and will not move out of the way of even the biggest, scariest dog, he thinks he can take on the world! However we cannot have him scrapping with every canine he sees, so with his, and our patients’, safety in mind we decided to get Rocky used to wearing soft paws.
Declawing is an elective procedure that we did not feel was right for Rocky. Older cats can have more complications following this surgery, take longer to heal and tend to be more painful. We fitted Rocky with soft paws, and apart from being unimpressed with being held for a “manicure” he did not at all mind the tiny nail caps; maybe he’s a fan of the fun colours!
Soft paws are a great alternative to declawing. Contrary to popular belief, soft paws are not uncomfortable and cats are still able to retract their claws and walk as they would with “naked” toes. They are easily applied with a little bit of glue and fall off as the nail sheds naturally. Some cats may dislike them and occasionally chew at them, but others, like Rocky, do not even notice they are there!
If you would like to learn more about Soft Paws, or other alternatives to declawing please call the clinic. We would be happy to demonstrate how they are applied.
