The only reason that I can come up with for ever choosing to declaw a cat is pure selfishness, wanting the cat, but also wanting to avoid any problems with furniture and carpet. I think many people, innocently, make this choice because it is available in the US. I have never chosen to declaw a cat, but I have also never chosen to have an indoor only cat (which is another hot topic for another day). My sister, a real cat lover, has always declawed her cats, regardless of my ranting about the cruelty of it. I have friends that have declawed cats, and even my stepchildren have 5 cats in their mother's home, all declawed. None of them have ever reported personality problems with the cats, but God forbid that one of those cats ever gets outdoors by accident. I have found that my Butter and Mimi's teeth are just as lethal as their claws, and I'm not about to have their teeth pulled for my convenience!!! I have the scars to prove it too!!!