Kitty Caps: A Great Alternative To De-Clawing Your Cat

 

 

I love our family cat, but every once in a while, she decides to scratch one of us. I called our beloved vet to gain some insight and he told us that random acts of aggression often happen in felines who were taken away from their mothers at too early an age. Bummer, but therapy for Cossette is not an option, and, aggression will not tolerated. Outside of de-clawing, what is a cat owner to do? We tried some of the “calming” sprays and collars on the market. While they worked for a bit, the cat still managed to scratch my daughter the other day for no apparent reason. Enter: Kitty Caps.

I'd seen these equivalent of human fake nails before and knew that, much like the fake nails ladies put on, you glue them over a cat's nails. This way, when the cat scratches, she doesn't hurt anyone. I'd also read mixed reviews about them being hard to put on and that they tended to make cats a little more nippy. Still, with no alternative except to de-claw our beloved pet, I decided to try them, especially since PetSmart has a 30-day return policy even if the package has been opened.

Armed with the salesman's warning that after applying the nails, you needed to keep the cat quiet for a while, I chose the largest size available (Cosy is a tubby 15 pounds). Timing with her is important, so I chose to apply them the next morning when she tends to be sleepy. I also decided to only put them on her front claws since those are the ones she attacks with. Following the package directions, I trimmed her nails (she's great with that since she gets a treat right after). While she retired to the couch, I got the Kitty Caps ready.

You're supposed to fill the nail half way with glue and then slip them on each of the cat's nails. Therein lies my biggest problem with this product: the glue does not flow out smoothly. I actually had to use pliers to squeeze any glue out. The manufacturers give you an extra fine tip to slip over the glue tube which I found completely useless. After making a gluey mess out of a few of the nails, I finally got the hang of filling one half way. I then grabbed my unsuspecting feline and slipped it over her claw; then I held her for about a minute (the package says you're supposed to hold the cat still for 5 minutes – good luck with that). I got all the nails on with nary a “meow” and she went back to sleeping.

I've watched her behavior over the past two weeks to see if there has been any increased nippiness and haven't seen any. When she attacked my leg the other day, it stung from the impact but she didn't even pierce my thin leggings. I check the Kitty Caps every other day and when I saw that one had fallen off, quickly and easily replaced it. Cosy has used her scratching post and doesn't seem to be effected at all by the fake nails.

So far, I enthusiastically recommend Kitty Caps. They've made my family safer from random cat attacks and have saved Cossette from the only alternative to getting rid of her – de-clawing. If you decide to try them, just make sure the merchant you're buying them from will take them back even if the package has been opened.

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