My opinion is: It is not fair or humane. Imagine something larger than yourself deciding to have your fingers amputated at the last knuckle...Then they say "Oh, he is better off"....Please! If you have issues with cats clawing they make rubber tips for the claws...also scratch posts work...I trim my cats claws (I have 5) they cannot hurt eachother and my furniture is intact. I think people who declaw should have their fingers amputated at the last knuckle...I know this is a 'radical' statement but I have done much field study and have more love and respect for the feline species than the human.