Hello all,

I have a dilemma, I'd really appreciate everyone's input. I'm seriously considering having my cat Leto declawed. Now let's start with the fact that I love Leto in that ridiculous "call home every day to meow with the cat" kind of way. He is my soulmate kitty. He's also always been psychotic. So when there were claw issues when he was young, I just kept them trimmed and figured he'd grow out of it. As he got older, I started putting Soft Paws "rubber tips" on him. These work reasonably well until he chews them off.

The issue is that he is truly a danger to myself and the other cat. Just in being affectionate with me he punctures my skin regularly, not to mention scratches and cuts from playing. Some of you have seen the scars. The other cat here, the Kitten McNugget, can't be near him because he attacks her. One time he created an abscess that was so bad we had to take her for surgery so they could remove a portion of her hindquarter skin. I fear for my eyes and her eyes, and for the whole rest of her little fluffybutt body also.

So you can see I'm not talking out of lack of care for the cat, nor am I overexaggerating the problems. I could deal with some scratched furniture, but blood and scars and surgeries are too much.

I know all the horror stories you know about declawing. But here's my two thoughts.

First, A good friend has had all her cats declawed, including an older one (as Leto would be, he's 5), and they have NOT been traumatized. They come out of it confused from the anaesthesia, and it takes them a while to realize they don't have claws, but then they're fine.

Second, sometimes that kind of thing just has to be done. I had my wisdom teeth out, and they had to go in to the gum and pull out bony structures far past just the visible teeth. And for some people I guess it hurts recovering from that, but they're over it in a week. I was over it immediately, no problems at all. So there's my parallel on invasive surgery.

Really want your opinions. But please just don't give me "it's cruel". I've addressed that above, so please back up a statement like that with some specific arguments.
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HOLY SHIT, CAT MASSACRE!
As if he KNEW what I was writing about, the cat just leapt at me like I was some sort of toxic wolverine/badger mortal enenmy hybrid and tried to shred me. He wasn't playing, that cat was trying to take me DOWN. He is psychotic. And now I have evidence for why I am seriously wanting him declawed:





He may have sealed his fate with this one.