I am so upset, I'm in tears. My son and his wife went to the SPCA (good thing) and let my 9-year-old grandson choose a cat for himself (also a good thing). They insist upon mutilating this baby's feet by having her declawed, and I can't change their minds. They "don't want the furniture scratched." I was speaking with my daughter-in-law's mother a while ago, and she agrees with them; that was no surprise, since that's where my daughter-in-law was taught that furniture is more important than a living, sentient being. I asked her if she realizes that declawing a cat is amputating bone, like amputating the last digit of your fingers, and she said yes - and has no problem with that! These are otherwise nice people who've been very good to me - well off, well educated. I feel so damn helpless. I don't want to see the kitten (she's not home yet - waiting on spaying) because I can't stand to look at her and know what's coming.

I know there are no answers, but I just had to express how depressed and helpless I feel over this. How can an intelligent person be so uncompassionate, so shallow as to put inanimate objects before a loving being? Once my own furchildren are safe at Rainbow Bridge, I want out - there's far too much cruelty in this world.