Whatever you do, don't take my finger!

[Not Afraid]

For a short period of time, declawing was thought to be humane. And, yes, it was much more "convenient" for us to protect the dear furniture rather than care about the cat. But, thankfully, there is a lot of information about this mis-treatment and there are many vets that will not do this proceedure any longer.

If your furniture is that important to you, don't get a cat. If you do get a cat, provide alternate places where your cat can scratch and keep it claws trimmed. If you cannot handle the responsability of either one of these alternatives, then there is a proceedure that is much less painful that severes the tendon that causes the claws to move in and out.

Declawing is not like a manicure. It is serious surgery. Your cat's claw is not a toenail. It is actually closely adhered to the bone. So closely adhered that to remove the claw, the last bone of your the cat's claw has to be removed. Declawing is actually an amputation of the last joint of your cat's "toes". When you envision that, it becomes clear why declawing is not a humane act. It is a painful surgery, with a painful recovery period. And remember that during the time of recuperation from the surgery your cat would still have to use its feet to walk, jump, and scratch in its litter box regardless of the pain it is experiencing. Wheelchairs and bedpans are not an option for a cat.

We seem to do a lot of inhume things when we don't know better. China thought is was OK to bind the feet of women. Well, it's not ok. And people need to stop declawing their cats.