[Americanchild]

Declawing involves the amputation of the first section of each digit to hopefully prevent the claws from growing back inside the toes ( which can happen!). This results in significant pain and the necessity of walking in an unnatural position for the rest of the cats life. Have you tried to balance and walk with one fourth of your toes missing?

[The Red Zone]

I have one half track cat and one 4 paw declaw in the house. The 4 paw is old, ill, and slow now, but in her youth she could jump and run with the best of them. The half track at age 17 or so still can jump up to most places she used to, as well as blowing through the house like her tail is on fire.

[The Red Zone]

And I have a full clawed kitty who sometimes gets a notion to zip across the kitchen at the speed of sound on the way to the basement. The sight and sound is comic, as she vainly tries to sink her claws into an unyielding hardwood floor, and skids and caroms off the refrigerator.

[yooling]

Declawing involves the amputation of the first section of each digit......etc

And neutering involves the cutting off of something(s) that males regard very dearly as a part of their anatomy, but we never see fit to think of it as a problem.