Cat chewing at her Soft Paws?
I am renting a room from a couple, and have two cats, ages 8 and 10. They are *way* too old to declaw and I personally feel if you need a declawed cat, there are plenty in the shelters -- no need to harm another cat when there are plenty of ones already mutilated that need homes.
Unfortunately, they have carpet and so I got both of my cats Softpaws -- had a professional groomer put them on the first time to make sure they were done right. The groomer said that Macey, the 8 year old, fought getting them on a bit, but she has seemed to tolerate them well. Maia, on the other hand, they said was very good and let them put them on her without any fighting, and seemed to do well for the first week. Now, though, she is chewing on them. I'm afraid she's starting to hurt herself, because she's hiding under the bed and acting like her paws hurt her. I also am afraid that she's developing an aversion to the litter box, because I saw her pee in front of it -- I use a Littermaid and haven't changed the litter, the liter box is very clean and not stinky at all. I'm afraid it hurts her to walk much, and that's why she's staying under the bed and only coming out to do what she has to do.
I don't know of a way for even the vet to soak them off without putting her paws in acetone -- can't be good for them. I'm also really broke, and nothing looks infected, just sore. I think if I can just get her to stop chewing on them, break the habit, she'll feel better.
Will a large e-collar keep a cat from chewing at their front paws? I've never declawed a cat so I don't know what they use besides bandages to try to keep cats from eating the stitches, but if an e-collar will keep her from being able to chew, that would at least break the habit, and if it doesn't start getting better I can be saving up the money for a vet visit.
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I got a bunch of them on sale at drugstore.com (4 of them in the garage waiting for my little baby Jules). She loves them and uses them a lot.
She also knows what the words NO CLAWING means. I trained her to know and it was not that difficult being I had the claw boards for her.
The idea of de-clawing a cat infuriates me. I personally believe it should be made a crime! It is a horrible thing to do to a cat and disgusting to think that a person's sofa or rug may be more important that a cat's own claws. Persons that do this to cats do not deserve the honor of having a cat IMO.
Those claw boards are only about $10.00 each at drugstore.com and I buy the ramp type. It gives my cat a good work out besides. 
The cat is miserable with these things on the feet. It is not going to do any good at all in the long run.
Try the scratch boards. When the cat begins to claw something it shouldn't say "NO CLAWING" and pick the cat up and put it on the catnip entrenched scratching board and praise the cat saying, "Good cat!" and be sure to pet the cat and continue to praise the cat when it scratches the claw board and the do the NO CLAWING thing when it scratches something it should not scratch.
If you do this every time around, the cat will get it quickly. Throw in a few treats and it should certainly make an impression I'd think.
The last thing you want is cat anything on the rugs as the odor never goes away. Nope. 
