Cat help needed please!

[partipoomom]

My daughter is getting a cat , a ragdoll, and is looking for someone in the southcoast Massachusetts area to put softclaws on it for her. And to coach her on proper grooming of it. She has never had a cat before, so she will need some coaching. She will pay for your time. She will be getting the cat sometime soon, from a breeder, it will be a retired breeder, as she doesn't want a hyper kitten, she wants a calmer, older cat. Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.......... THANK YOU!!!

[SwissNChow]

Is the cat known to scratch inappropriate things? If not, then why the softclaws? I find with my cats that if I just keep their nails trimmed appropriately, they just are not a problem. I have Birmans, not Ragdolls, but it would surprise me that a laid back retiree would be in need of softclaws.

[partipoomom]

I don't know that she NEEDS them, but because my grandson has Aspergers, and is 8 and VERY timid, she wanted them 'just in case' the cat accidentally scratches him. If it did, he would be afraid of cats forever...... he's just like that. We wanted to get him a poodle, but he heard a dog bark, and is now afraid of them. So its just a preventative thing.

[Jadenlea]

Id try without the softpaws first. I am not a fan of them, Ive seen some nasty nail infections from them. Ragdolls are pretty laid back cats and if she has an issue she can always put them on later.

As for learning to brush her well, has she asked the breeder? If I was a breeder of long haired cats Id be thrilled to show someone adopting one of my older cats how to take care of it.

I am not sure how far from the NH border she is but in a pinch, if she cant find anybody else, I have the beginnings of a house call grooming business starting. It is probably a bit out of my driving range but since its the daughter of someone from this board I wouldn't mind driving out one time to groom it the first time and teach her how to do it herself. I'd have her ask the breeder first though since she can probably learn all she needs to know for free!~

[Ali Kat]

Ummm....what happens when the cat does something else other than scratching? Like biting or whatever else might frighten the child? Then the cat will have to be placed in another home. Though I appreciate your desire to have a pet, and it certainly could have a calming effect on the child, it just doesn't seem fair to the pet, considering the situation. Maybe you could try fostering with a rescue group first to see if this will work out before bringing a pet into a home that may not be for "forever".