Hi there! My cats are front declawed (they were done as kittens (please don't declaw adults!)- I have three). Do you know about nail caps for cats? Mine also have free run of the condo and will not be going anywhere.Nyarlat wrote:Hi ShadowCat, this question is more about cats and RealDolls in general, not specific to the male model. I saw that you put pants on Aki to help protect him, so your kitties aren't de-clawed, ( ) and that Aki spends most of his time on the couch. Now, my cats pretty much have free run to go anywhere in my apartment (a few exceptions) and especially around feeding times they are all over me on the couch. Sometimes (again, usually around feeding times) when I'm sitting on the couch, one of my cats will "stretch" out on my leg, with claws out (he doesn't really scratch, it's just a result of his stretching out on my leg) and that potentially worries me a little, as I'm not sure if it's just me or has to do with legs in the sitting position. Just wondering if yours do the same and if so, has this caused any damage to Aki? Did you ever have any problems with "poke throughs" through the pants just from them walking over him? I know you said that you don't use the stand much, but have you ever experienced problems while he's on the stand and the cats using him as a scratching post?
Also, as far as cleaning, does the regular cleaning (spongebath) remove cat hair and such from Aki?
To give some idea of my cats' usual nail length, (for reference) I usually trim when they start to bite and pull at them and "pull" more at the carpet while stretching. Usually about every 1.5-2 months. Or whenever I notice a huge dagger haha.
I don't have a RealDoll (yet), but these cats aren't going anywhere for a long time and I would probably have her stay on the couch (like you do with Aki) or on the stand most of the time.
Sorry for the barrage of questions, and thank you for being so open with the forum!
They do still jump on Aki- it's really hard to prevent it. Their rear nails have caused some very minor damage to his thighs. The pants work okay for protection, but their nails can still poke through. It's not enough to warrant any repairs though. The only time they really jump on him is when I'm also on the couch and they want my attention, otherwise they don't really bother him. They have never tried to use him as a scratching post- but every cat is an individual.
Keeping clothing on Aki limits the cat hair and lint. Bathing does remove it with some difficulty. I do use lint rollers in between, but they lose stickness fast due to the silicone.
I knew it would be a slight risk to have a RealDoll with pets, but I would never give up my cats and I'm not going to leave Aki where I'll never touch him just because I'm afraid of the slightest scratch. I think other things can do far more damage. (Now, if we were talking about puppies, this would be a very different conversation!)