Chico and Cindy, below is an entry from wikipedia regarding Onychectomy, or as we know it, declawing:
"Onychectomy is the act of surgically removing the claws, most often of a household cat, though occasionally of other animals such as circus lions or dancing bears. This process involves amputating the entire distal phalanx, or end bone, of the animal's toes, under anaesthesia, and is popularly known as declawing."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onychectomy
Many countries around the world have outlawed declawing as mutilation and abuse towards cats, which as you'll note, many of us here also subscribe to that belief. The AVMA (American Veterinary Medical Association) has also published a statement regarding declawing and the ethics, the link to which I've posted here:
http://www.avma.org/issues/policy/an.../declawing.asp
If you would like further information, please let me know
I've done a lot of research regarding this particular issue (had a polydactyl kitty and an ex-fiancee who thought she *should* be declawed), and find it to be abhorrent and barbaric.