Declawing Cats

[EgoDeath]

Comparing declawing a cat to having a pet neutered isn't a reasonable comparison.

Having a dog neutered can prevent testicular cancer just as spaying a bitch can prevent breast cancer - which is nearly always fatal.  

Declawing a cat is not a matter of maintaining the health of the cat.

And yet, I never claimed that declawing was a matter of maintaining the health of the cat, did I?

I was making the comparison from a standpoint of making life easier for the owner. Most people get their cats neutered/spayed because they:

-don't feel like dealing with a female cat that's in heat
-know male cats who are neutered a more likely to be well-behaved
-know male cats are less likely to roam away from the household (in search of a female partner)
-don't feel like dealing with an unplanned litter of kittens that they may very well have to give away and/or won't realistically be able to care for

People tend to declaw their cats because they don't want their shit torn to hell. Being someone that doesn't necessarily want to do that to an animal, I would simply opt to not own another pet after my current one passes, as much as I love her and all animals in general.

People do these things for their own convenience. If there are health benefits involved, then great. In the case of declawing, it saves cat owners years of headaches and possible hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars in damage to furniture and household fixtures. That being said, my mother had a cat whose declawing job must've been botched because I remember her being fucked up from it for way too long afterward. I was young and don't remember much, but I remember her seeming to be in a lot of pain and she quickly turned into an angry, ornery cat after that. I, personally, wouldn't want to do that to an animal. I also don't want my things torn up. Hence, I don't plan to have another cat.

Simple. Easy to understand. Not sure why you're looking for an argument where there isn't one. Never said declawing had health benefits.

edit:

Also, if someone having their cat declawed prevents them from abandoning a potentially behaviorally problematic kitty, I'm all for it. I'd rather see a cat declawed and an owner be left to deal with it's behavioral issues than to see a cat abandoned or given away time and time again because it scratches at everyone or destroys furniture constantly. Cats have been put down for shit like that so I'd rather see a cat declawed if it's going to cause that many problems for its owner. There are pros and cons to it, as I understand it.