De-clawing Cats

The only part I hate about cats are their claws. I can't stand being scratched by a cat. It's almost as bad as a paper cut for me. I've had a few cats, and I love them as pets, but those claws have got to go. I know that this is an issue with a lot of cat parents, but I was wondering how people on this forum feel about de-clawing cats and why?

Declawing is a horrid practice. The surgery involves more than simply removing the claws, but the entire nail bed and a portion of the digit. A cat's claw is not like a fingernail or toenail; rather, it is a movable digit attached to muscle by tendons and ligaments, allowing the cat to extend and retract its claws.

Only cats can do this, and without them, a cat can't grasp, hold, or even establish proper footing.

It is also very painful for the cat. Think about a surgery that involved removing your entire fingernails and toenails, as well as a portion of the finger or toe. Declawing a cat is even worse. Removal via laser surgery is less painful but but it doesn't change what the procedure actually does.

After the surgery, a declawed cat will hobble around painfully, use its litter box, and learn to adjust to life without one of the most effective tools that God gave a cat. Not every cat is able to make the adjustment.

Plus, there is the fact that if it should ever escape to the outdoors, it will be almost entirely defenseless, and even unable to retreat to a tree.

My suggestion is that anyone who believes they need to have their cats declawed would be better off thinking of another type of pet.

I'm not a fan of declawing. It is just plain cruel. The only defense mechanism a cat has is it's claws. If something ever happened, they are being set up for failure due to not being able to defend themselves. It's just not fair to them.

As Kfander said above, cat's claws are not anything like our fingernails and toenails. Even if they were, can you imagine how painful that would be? It wouldn't be a fun experience. There's no avoiding the paint hat comes afterward and the constant confusion.