I thought the same until I saw the vet bills from a friend's cat who
single-handedly injured every animal she had.  She said she'd never do such
a thing but realized that one cat would soon maim every other cat, dog, and
barnyard fowl she had.  She tried to clip it and attempted the glue-ons but
her resultant injuries and fighting with it to do the same were too much for
her.  She almost had it put down before she had it declawed at age two
(terrible twos???)

She had it done for $75 and now it is the nicest cat she owns out of
several.  It mellowed her out and now she gets along fine with the other
animals.  Chickens no longer flee to the trees and higher perches in the
coop when it appears (they seemed to know which was the *nasty* cat of the
lot).  It still "thinks" it has claws and scratches the carpet, furniture,
and scratch pads but no damage is done and it doesn't act maimed at all and
still goes over the fences like it used too.  The cat did manage to put on
some extra weight for whatever reason - maybe less fighting.

B~

I don't see it as evil, but I don't do it. There are some people who
don't like the fact that their cat "misuse" their claws. I am not
saying it is right but I am not saying it is wrong either. My aunt had
a huge cat, the owners that had his mother and father that somewhere
there was a bobcat mixed in the father's side of the family tree, so
when she got him he was declawed and that was a good thing because
that cat got to the size of a small medium dog. I once saw the cat
swat at my aunt and I was glad he didn't have claws or else that would
have been an expensive medical bill for the stitches. So I don't get
my declawed but I also think at the same time some people do need to
get their cats declawed. It depends on the circumstance. I neither
agree with declawing or disagree.
Sara

bonbon not@taking.replies
writes

"Adreeanna" wrote:

cat owner tries all other >avenues before resorting to >declaw.

the right thing?  Because I >>don't see that happening.

Well...open your eyes, bub. I support the position that one tries other
avenues, but, if it's a choice between bringing cat back to shelter and
gambling on whether the cat 1) lives and 2) gets adopted or to declaw the cat,
I'd support the declaw.  Only then.

No actually, I am not.  Thought this was an open forum for views, sharing,
ideas, and opinions....As for scratching posts being rocket science..well i
think you are just being silly now.  There are currently three different
material clawing posts and "trees" in our home to cater to the cats.  There
is the rare one that won't use any type for whatever reason.  That you do
not condone de-clawing is fine.  Neither do I as a front line...
Sorry we don't agree
Adreeanna

You don't do any favours by being a foolish fanatic.
You know...all this nonsense about arguing to de-claw or not declaw, is
exactly that!  Foolish.  There are people in this world that own, care for,
and love their cats, but that also want a nicely decorated home.  For that I
am grateful.  I would rather see a cat de-clawed even to protect the
furniture...rather than being put down, or tossed out because it won't stop
clawing.  Our shelters are full to overflowing...they are being euthanized
by the hundreds...Adopt them out, at whatever it takes...I am sure that were
the cat able to choose death of life with no claws in a loving protected
home..he would choose life.
If an owner has tried ALL he/she knows to try, and they are satisfied that
they have..then by all means, before you consign that poor animal to
euthanasia or death from the environment...Then don't feel guilty to declaw.
That is MY opinion.  I will say no more on the subject, for it as we all
know...is a no win arguement.
Adreeanna