Ok, first things first - Laura (UA), your sig is hilarious; I about fell off my chair when I saw it.

On to the declawing debate - Sammy's declawing is NOT a done deal. We got information from the vet about it as part of the standard kitten checkup, and I have been mulling my options since I have until October when the Saminator will be 6 months old and ready for his neutering. (I had decided that the results of my decision would be a personal matter in any case - kind of like the "don't ask, don't tell" policy in the military.) So far he has done very little damage with his claws, other than annihilating the sofa in the office here and giving me a few little "love scratches" from time to time. When he play-fights with us, he does not use his front claws at all (he doesn't need to; his TEETH are what are deadly ). I've read all about the Soft Paws, and have been considering those also. I've been able to trim Sammy's claws from time to time, and some days he stands still for it, some days he doesn't.

That said, I take no offense at all of the passionate statements made on this thread, because it shows the love and concern you all have for kitties, which is wonderful.