The human equivalent to declawing the cat would be for someone to cut of your fingers. You are purposely crippling an animal because you dislike the animal defending itself. Cats need to have their nails to climb trees to escape from predators as well as hunting for prey. You should buy the scratching post for your cats so they can get rid of the urge to extend their claws. If you really hate it and your cat or cats still scratch a little, you can either cut their nails down or put rubber nails on them.
I've only had one cat that would allow me to put on rubber nails and it worked well for a time. If you do it for a year, they get used to not having their nails that you can stop doing it and they won't scratch you unless you surprise them. I personally don't have the nimbleness in my hands to put them on constantly and had to have them put on by a veterinarian during checkups but they are a kinder solution than crippling your cat. You can also shop for cat slippers on Amazon or Ebay to cover their feet. If you have wood floors, make sure that they have a grip on the bottom or they will injure themselves.
