This cannot be rated on a scale.

Either damage takes place, or it doesn't.

Again, this cannot be rated on a scale.

While there may be an adjustment period, they are humane as long as the
cat accepts them with ease and they don't interfere with his/her life.

I wouldn't want a cat wearing these devices to be caught outside in a
position where it has to defend itself, so keeping the cat indoors would
perhaps become a priority.

The answer to that is obvious, forever.

Personally, I'd start with showing the cat where scratching is okay and
where it is inappropriate... sometimes that is all it takes.

What a great HS project! A great way to educate and explain to our
next generation just what declawing really is, rather than let any
misconceptions from prior generations dictate how they treat their
cats in the future.  

I've never used Soft Paws, but I know plenty here have and I hope
they can give some answers.

If your cousin needs some other information to add to "how to train
a cat to scratch its own stuff", I certainly can add to that.
Contrary to most people's beliefs, cats can be trained.

I've never had the need to use Softpaws.  I've always found it quite easy to
train cats to a scratching post with just a little effort and a lot of
catnip.  I don't think you need Softpaws and you *certainly* should amputate
a cat's toes just to save a piece of furniture.  Like anything else that's
worthwhile having, you need to put forth at least a minimal amount of effort
to get it.

Hugs,

CatNipped

You don't necessarily have to train a cat. Better is to give it
something it would rather claw on. It needs to claw on something,
to some extent. If that need is taken care of, it will claw less
or not at all on other things.

Claws are the essence of a cat. Claws are used for play, exercise,
self-defense, and eating. Their whole upper body depends on their
claws for exercise.

Anything is better than declawing. Clipping a cat's claws is easy
if done when the cat is woken up from a nap. A sharp pair of
toenail clippers works just fine if done from the sides with one
hand used to extend the claw.

My cat wears soft claws/paws, and he cannot damage the furniture while
wearing them

2) On a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being most humane) how humane do you
think Softclaws are?

Way better than amputating a cats toes!  Charley has accepted the soft
claws quite well.  He doesn't even seem to notice them.

3) How long must Softclaws be used on cats to prevent them from
damaging furniture? Weeks, months, years?

Forever, or until I can convince him to use a scratching post only.

4) Do Softclaws work better than just training a cat to use scratching
posts?

I don't know.

Depends on the cat. If you can keep the softpaws on them, there should be no
damage done (thus, a 10).

They're probably mildly irritating to some cats - in the same way as some
cats have a strong dislike for wearing a collar. But compared to declawing?
They'd be a 10.

Forever, if you don't have the inclination to train. If you have the time to
train and the money to pick up a scratching post or two, it really shouldn't
take more than a couple of weeks in most cases.

Not really. Eventually the glue wears off and the softpaws have to be
replaced, which to me is more of an on-again-off-again pain in the butt than
just offering a better scratching place.

Your cousin may want to mention that in many situations, landlords now will
allow cats with softpaws instead of requiring declawing. ...and he may want
to go into the many possible side effects of declawing. All of that supports
the fact that declawing is completely unnecessary, and softpaws are a great
alternative to it.

I've always trained my cats (previous and current) to scratch on appropriate
things.

From what I've read when it comes to claw covers, they are a pain in the a.s 
to apply and when it comes to declawing - it's results in severe pain to the
cat. Imagine having your fingers cut off at the first knuckle!

Cat's are like children. Time and disciple usually results in positive
results.

if they are used according to package directions, and sized properly,
10.

8

They can be used indefinitely.

"Better" is relative.  They work from keeping a cat from damaging
furniture, but IME, training a cat to scratch appropriately and
providing appropriate scratching trees and surfaces is more weffective,
overall.

Here's a review I wrote about SoftPaws a couple years ago:

(paste)

SoftPaws

Some people were asking about SoftPaws.  I work at a vet, and apply
these things every day, to all kinds of cats.  Here is my take:

Description:  A set of rubber nail covers which are glued to the nail,
after trimming, with a super-glue-like substance.  They are used to
keep the kitty from scratching things that may be damaged by unaltered
nails.

****************

Pros:
They are really, really easy to apply if kitty cooperates, and will
let you trim her nails easily.  They take about 5-8 minutes to apply,
once you get the hang of it.

They are relatively inexpensive (about $10-12/set, if applied at the
vet, and they last 1-3 months.)  They are even less expensive if you
buy your own kit and apply them at home.

They do not interfere with normal claw usage, but protect things you
do not want scratched, fairly effectively.

Some cats do very, very well with them.

****************

Cons:

Some cats *detest* them, and will fight you tooth and nail (excuse the
pun) when you try to apply them.

Some cats pull them off easily.

The glue is very sticky, and will stick to and damage any surface it
encounters (including human skin).

If the glue touches any skin while wet (human or cat), it burns.  It
is fairly
caustic.

Some cats are allergic to the glue.

If the nail is trimmed too short, the glue can damage the nail bed,
which results in a crusty/ill formed nail, when the nail grows out.
They work best of the nail is trimmed fairly short, and if the glue is
applied in the inner 2/3 of the cap, before application.

The caps need to be fitted properly.  Many technicians tend to use
caps that are too large, and then the cat is constantly fighting with
the caps, as they "feel" awkward.  One cat may need more than one size
of caps to accomodate all nails on the foot (e.g. mediums on all nails
except 'pinky", which needs a small).

The caps need to be applied quickly after the glue is applied...the
glue dries very quickly.  This can be tricky for beginners.

****************

Overall impression:  I think trimming nails often (every 1-2 weeks) is
a better, more wholistic solution to scratching problems, than
SoftPaws.  If you are unable to do this, SoftPaws may be a solution
for you.  Overall, it is a good product, but may not be good for every
cat.

(end of paste)

If your cousin would like more info, feel free to email me privately at
gentleboa (at) peacemail (dot) com.

-L.

So far, TuTu has had 3 sets of soft paws.  Next week she will get No. 4.
Humane?  Yes!  It also helps my skin as well as furniture.  They stay on
two to three months and really curtail the scratching.  MLB

Mike,

I may very well be wrong here but it sounds like whoever gave the
assignment thinks that softclaws are a training aid to stop a cat from
scratching. As you can see from your answers that is not the purpose
at all, they are for people mostly who don't want to train their cats
not to scratch so they use the softclaws so no damage is done while
they are clawing.

Brad

LIFE'S JOURNEY IS NOT TO ARRIVE AT THE GRAVE SAFELY IN A
WELL-PRESERVED BODY, BUT RATHER TO SKID IN SIDEWAYS, TOTALLY WORN OUT,
SHOUTING... " HOLY @#$%... WHAT A RIDE!"

Wouldn't you think anything is better than mutilating an animal that you're
supposed to be caring for?
The claw is attached to the bone in cats. Declawing is known in the vet world
as feline digital amputation. That's right -- they cut off the toe at the
last joint. FWIW, the procedure is illegal in many countries unless done for
a specific medical problem (such as deformed claw growth or a nasty injury
that will cause problems later if it isn't done; even then, only the affected
toe(s) have the claw removed).

From what I've heard, about an 8-9 if used properly and they stay on.

They are totally humane if used properly, so a 10.

IMO, SoftPaws are a step in the training process. Once the cat learns to use
what belongs to him, they won't be needed.
All cats can be trained. Some are easier than others. Sometimes people just
don't have the time or don't want to (or for some reason can't) put in the
effort to fully train the cat. Sometimes the furniture is just too good to
pass up unless you do something to it to make it not-nice. For these
people/cats/situations, SoftPaws may be needed for the lifetime of the cat.

I have two who really like my couch. For these two, keeping their nails
trimmed closely and keeping up positive reinforcement for using their posts
as well as adversives (such as cirtus-scented sprays) to keep them away from
the couch will need to be done for their lifetimes (or until I get a new
couch with a texture a little less kitty-claw-friendly).

They do best when used in conjunction with training, from what I've
heard/read.
I myself just trim the claws as close to the quick as I can get without
nicking it and they do *very* little damage. Note that my cats are not
allowed to roam outside unattended.

Another note: SoftPaws have no side effects.
Declawing, however, can cause some nasty things if it isn't done perfectly.
And who is perfect? Even vets make mistakes. If done wrong, claws can begin
to regrow into the bone, causing horrible pain and maiming the cat, sometimes
for life. Although no _impartial_ studies can prove it, anecdotal evidence
suggests declawing can also cause behavioral changes in some cats, such as
inappropriate elimination (litterbox avoidance) and increases in displays of
aggression, fear, and anxiety.

       How sad that this has to be debated:(   I doubt if many
children over here would know of declawing and if they did,  the
collective response would be UGH !
  Alison

Softclaws in preventing cats from damaging furniture?

I've never used Softpaws.  I trim my cats' claws and trained them.  I
have nice furniture that the cats never bother (they've got a nice
floor to ceiling cat tree, scratching posts and scratching pads).
Here's a really good article on declawing in general that might help
provide more information if your cousin needs it:
http://www.wholecatjournal.com/articles/claws.htm