If you hate declawing you must hate neutering

It has been said that cat lovers who fight against declawing are hypocritical because they agree with and accept the neutering and spaying of cats. I disagree that we are hypocritical.

There is a great difference between the operations at a fundamental level and the difference concerns us.

There is no benefit whatsoever to the cat when the last digit of his toes are amputated. In fact there is great loss and pain. It is damaging a cat and it is for the convenience of the person.

In contrast, the neutering and spaying of cats is essentially for the benefit of cats in general as it prevents unwanted cats being born and possibly being abandoned to lead short miserable lives or be killed at cat shelters.

There are benefits to "cat owners" too. The male cat is less aggressive because he is less territorial and he will spray less or it is less likely that he will spray. Also there are less unwanted cats and therefore less of a burden on dealing with unwanted cats. But the primary purpose is to prevent unwanted cats being brought into the world and that benefits cats.