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]