I get a really nauseous feeling when someone even mentions declawing. I don't understand why would anyone even consider it, if they have even a drop of empathy. It's really horrifying for me that some veterinarians still practice this, I even heard some do it as a routine job during sterilization (I made sure my doctor doesn't do that before I took my cat). Trimming the nails is better, but it's still not a good thing to do. It's no too rare that it leads to ingrown nails, and a lot of cats don't like the nail caps. I've heard really scary stories about cats who chew their paws bloody trying to get the caps off. Giving your cats things to scratch is the best thing to do. They shorten their nail that way. I know that some cats get attached to a piece of furniture and won't stop scratching it, but I would much rather lose the furniture piece than maul my cat. Nobody is forced to keep a pet, if a person can't handle the change he can just skip the whole experience, rather than cut off the parts of the animal he doesn't like.
