You mentioned you didn't want to declaw, but there is a new method using a laser~the whole nail isn't removed, only down to the first knucke. My best friend had 2 of her cats done, and they had to stay overnight at the vet. The paws are not bandaged when they come home, and there is very little blood loss. If you want to know more, you can probably find something on line about this method.I don't have any info on the Soft Paws. ;o)

I have had both declawed cats, and cats that I clip. No temperament issues between them. No side effects. No biting. No litterbox drama, nothing. I think Meghane gave a well-thought-out response to your question, and has some good technical points in it for you to consider. I have not used softpaws. I have one cat now that HATES clipping but we have persisted in being the 'alpha' in the situation and it's been doable. My other cat just lies there and lets us clip away. There is one small clawmark on my new leather couch left at a time when my hates-clipping kitty was a bit overdue. Hers have always been razor sharp. I know there are emotions running high on this issue. But I do not have firm feelings either way. I went the clipping route because I signed a commitment contract at adoption to not declaw, in the case of my older cat, and I'm a woman of my word. You should do what's right for you, which none of us can judge, and you're a good parent to your babies no matter what you choose.

This sounds so much like my house. I know what you're going through. We trapped a pregnant cat this summer, thinking we'd find the kittens homes and TNR the momma cat (the neighbor has a semi-feral colony- they're too sweet to be stuck outside but too old to be box-trained indoor cats, and too wild for us to be able to really tame the kittens- his heart is in the right place, but he makes me so mad I could spit). Of course she turns into a lap cat who has no interest in going outside (none of her litter lived- half were horribly deformed and the other half she killed). She's great with us, but horribly nasty with the other cats. She's afraid of one and attacks the other three (five total). She lives under the bed in the basement, courtesy of the one she's afraid of. I would love it if we could find her a home where she was free to roam the house, but no luck so far. Our newest kitten (another one we trapped- was going to be a gift for my MIL but we fell in love with her) follows the big male around all the time. It's so cute- you can just tell he's her hero!

Hello William, its not clear from your post what's happening - in your first paragraph you write that he is loving when he's by himself with no other cats around, and then in the second paragraph he's biting people - is this a sister's daughter a child? Sadly you don't know what happened in his other life - could be children mistreated him. And sadly, often the more insecure and scared an animal is (again you don't know what kind of past hes had) the more they may be aggressive to other cats - cats still have a bit of the wild in them, and in the wild they would be competing for food and resources if these are scarce. If this cat came from a shelter, some have a harder time than others - animals know when they're not wanted, if their people have given them away and some may need an extra amount of love and reassurance before they start to relax and show their true personalities. And its sad too that shelters are so over burdened with unwanted animals and that you can't get assistance from them when you need it What I want to say is that you may be the person who may be in the best position to do right by this cat. If you look for a home for him then you are in the best position to be able to tell possible adopters things they really need to know - like he needs to be the only cat , in a home without children (if its children specifically he's having a problem with - not clear from your post ). The shelter you adopted him from should have provided you this type of information but for whatever reason did not. I have been in the situation of finding homes for stray or unwanted cats many times ... Word of mouth amongst friends coworkers and acquaintances is the best for a situation like this.-Otherwise, there's a way to screen people and be sure of a good match. In this situation you don't want first come first served - you want to know that its a situation that he'll do well in. If someone gets huffy about your screening them, then too freaking bad. The person you want understands why you're doing it, and I've also found that if YOU care about the cat, that appeals to people and they're more likely to want to adopt from you - Just be honest, be his advocate, make it clear that this cat has had a difficult time of it, that you want him to be in a place where he fits in and will do well, you want to be sure his next home works out, and of course along with the explanation of why he would do better in another home dont forget to point out his good qualities ( you did say he was loving right?) (BTW is he declawed? Declawed cats do sometimes become biters because they have no other defense. You and/or the adopter would need to learn to read his signals when he's had enough - ears flattened back, tense look on face - before he resorts to biting.) I hope this helps - I know from personal experience its a very difficult situation.