Cindy,don't be sorry,not everyone knows what a cruel procedure declawing is and the vet is certainly not going to tell you,at least not most vets.
It compares to cutting off the first joint on your fingers
We've had lenghty discussions about declawing,even a very descriptive piece,explainng what is really done to the cat.
I am not PC-savvy enough to find it in the Forum,but I am sure someone else is.
In my lifetime,I've had maybe 15 cats,would never even dream of declawing,just the word sends shivers down my spine.