I just wanted to comment on how they say that when your cat is declawed they cut the finger from the knuckle. This is very untrue, that is how they did it way back when, but now it is done with a very safe and painless laser. I had my cat declawed because my mom is allergic to them and the scratches leave large welts on her. When I had it done she was a just kitten and the down time for her was not even one day. She has completey adjusted to not having front claws and lives a normal healthy life as an indoor cat. I will say though that if you plan to let your cat loose outside then it is not a good idea to have them declawed because now they have no means of defense. Other wise if you plan to keep your cat indoors other than being outside on a leash, then having your cat declawed is NOT cruel. My beautiful cat China is proof of it.