Stories of a short, fat bastard.

I agree. Max the second, our Maine Coon Cat, came declawed, and it's part of the reason I adopted him: he was considered hard to place because he couldn't be let out unsupervised. I, on the other paw, *wanted* a kitty who didn't jones to go out and would be content to stay mostly indoors, having lost Max the first to coyotes. The Humane Society in San Diego County (and many other counties) will not allow cats to be adopted if the potential "parents" express an interest in having the cat declawed. Many vets now refuse to do it, and I believe it's totally illegal in England. Sammy, our little Siamese/Bengal cross has claws like scythes, but other than trimming them, I leave them alone. He came as a kitten, and with Max II to occupy and socialize him, he has learned to be content with once-a-day supervised outside visits.