Annette,
 
There is NO REASON to declaw your cat.  I have 4 cats and 5 ferrets and
have NEVER had an injury as a result of the cats' claws!  Three of my cats
were cats that I had before I got these ferrets and they adjusted just
fine.  The other cat was an adult I adopted recently and is taking to the
ferrets better than 2 of my others!
 
It is up to you to be a responsible pet owner and supervise your cat with
the ferret until you are confident they can be left alone together.  If you
do not ever reach that point of confidence then you will be responisble for
making sure that the cat and ferret are superivised at all times when they
are out together.
 
It is NOT responsible pet ownership to make your cat suffer an unnecessary
operation just so you can have another pet.  That cat was there first and
you took the responsibility for it's health and happiness when you brought
it home.  That means if you can't trust the cat with a ferret, you don't
get a ferret!
 
Michelle
[Posted in FML issue 2991]