she feels guilty

I would have to assume that the reason that she feels guilty is because of the fact that she did end up taking something away from kitty by having her declawed, especially considering that it isn't something that they have done before. As for us, we have had four cats now and none of them have ever been declawed, though before I was a cat owner I thought that was the only way that I would be able to have a cat, now that I've had cats for a few years, I don't think that I would ever be able to take that away from my cats.

People can really be hard to understand sometimes. Animals are animals and they do what they do instinctively. She shouldn't have gotten a cat if everything bothers her like that.

I know others too that feel guilty when they have them neutered...to see them in a bit of pain our hearts do reach out for them!

She should feel guilty. I do not believe in having to alter an animal to suit our needs or desires. We wouldn't chop off a child's fingers because they don't stop touching things. We don't pull out a child's teeth when they bite someone or put something in their mouth. Why declaw a cat because they scratch? It's their nature!! If you don't like them scratching, don't own a cat.

That is weird. I have always felt terrible for kitties that have their claws removed. I have had a lot of cats and they never acted so badly that I thought I would want to have them removed. I took in a cat that was declawed once because the people across the street moved out and just left him. He would meow and cry all night. I hope now that she will, at least, keep her.

Poor kitty.. I think once the kitten is used to not having her claws and is off the medicines your mother in law may start to feel a bit better because she will see the cats is doing okay. My cousin has a cat that is declawed and while I understand why she did it I feel a bit bad for the cats because they don't then have a way to defend themselves.

Forgive me for saying this but I HOPE THEY FEEL GUILTY FOR A LONG LONG TIME!!!! That poor cat is in misery!! When they declaw a cat the amputate part of the bone. It is like a human having toes amputated. That cat is going to be in pain for a long long time. My parents forced me to have one of my cats declawed and I never forgave them. The poor guy couldn't jump properly and fell a lot, he could barely walk because of the pain, and we could never touch his feet. He never ran through the house because of the pain in his feet, he didn't play like a cat will play, again because of the pain in his feet! I would love to catch up with your in-laws and jerk their toe nails out of their feet, only do it by cutting off the ends of their toes. In the area that I live in in California they don't and won't declaw cats. It leaves them defenseless if they happen to go outside, it leaves them in constant pain, and it changes their lives forever. National Geographic showed the anatomy of the feet of different species including humans and cats. It was done through xrays. Looking at the x-ray you could see why it would be so horrible on the cat to have the claws removed. Simply because the claws are grown through the bone. They make claw covers so that the owners can protect their furniture and themselves. They are glued on and they last on the claw for a month or more. Also, scratching posts are wonderful! I haven't had any furniture clawed since the cats have their own posts. I yelled at them if they clawed me and they soon learned that they weren't to claw people. I realize training takes some time, but it's a lot kinder to the animal than cutting off the ends of their feet. Please, forgive me for getting rabid about declawing cats, too many people think that it's the answer...and they will even do it to such majestic and beautiful animals as tigers, lions, and jaguars in the name of making them a pet. I just love the cat family so much and hate to think of them being hurt so unnecessarily.

It sounds like she realizes too late the terrible thing she did to that poor cat by having it declawed. That is a TERRIBLE thing to happen to an animal. She SHOULD feel guilty.