Absolutely you SHOULD declaw your cat (if you want to). All of my cats (indoor only!) have been declawed, front and back. This makes them loveable, soft, cuddly pets who will not damage your furniture or scratch YOU. Even cats with only hind claws can scratch. My dining table has the marks to prove it.

Who knows if it "hurts" the animal? Only the cat can anwer to that. But they sure don't act like it hurts... they're roving around the house as soon as they come home from the vet. And once the bandages come off, they're limber and bouncy as ever. And I have NEVER heard of deformaties or back problems later in life. I believe these are POSSIBLE, but I also believe advocates of non-declawing will come up with any logical SOUNDING terrors as a way to steer people away from declawing. In truth, declawing doesn't harm the animal in any way, does not affect the health, personality, or future well-being. It simply helps the pet and the human to co-exist better for a livetime of love and contentment.

None of my cats has ever learned to not scratch nor to use a scratching post. Those who insist on scratching can be less damaging with simple surgery. To say that an owner must put up with ruined furniture, carpets, and curtains is ludicrous when a simple solution is available.

(However, my Marley has managed to damage my sofa ($1,000 apiece) arms and a wicker room divider ($200) with just an instant's worth of scratching with clawless paws. )

Again... 100% FOR declawing.

the Julles