To declaw or not to declaw that is the question.

And it’s an issue that cat lovers debate with some degree of emotion.

There are those who, turned off by the nature of the procedure, swear they would never declaw one of their cats. But others think the surgery isn’t that big a problem for the animals, and that having it done will effectively protect their furnishings from cats with scratching problems.

The bottom line seems to be that cat owners considering the declaw surgery worry about the pain it might cause.

“We get asked that a lot, whether people who adopt cats here should have them declawed,” said Stacy Hoobler, operations manager at the Lawrence Humane Society, 1805 E. 19th St. “I go both ways on the issue. It is a painful procedure, but now they have pain pills and patches to help the cat.”

For people considering adopting a cat from the shelter, the declaw question is often academic. Thirty to 40 percent of cats available for adoption there already have their front claws removed, according to Hoobler.

“We give people the pros and cons on declawing, but mainly we tell them to consult a veterinarian,” she said.

Amy Tramill, an educator with the humane society, said the decision depends on the individual.

“If declawing is what it takes to keep a cat in a happy home, I say, ‘OK,'” Tramill said. “If owners have tried everything else and nothing works, OK.”

A cat’s claws are essential for its own defense, both for climbing up out of danger and fighting back at a predator. So a declawed cat is at a distinct advantage outside the home.

For that reason, many animal experts advise keeping declawed cats indoors, away from potential dangers.

The surgery known as declawing involves removal of the last joint of each toe, along with the claw itself. It’s usually performed on a cat’s front paws only but is occasionally done on all four feet.

The surgery is performed while the animal is completely anesthetized so no pain is felt during the procedure.

Cats are in some pain right after surgery, but most are comfortable by the time they’re released from the veterinarian’s care.

At the Animal Clinic of Kaw Valley, 1411 E. 23rd St., the declaw procedure costs $85, which includes an overnight stay and pain injection. The option of doing pre-anesthetic bloodwork to check a cat’s liver and kidney function costs $30, and an optional pain patch is available for $30.

Bradley Animal Hospital, 935 E. 23rd St., offers a laser declaw procedure that is said to cause less pain, bleeding and swelling in the animal, as well as a reduced risk of infection.

It typically runs $40 to $50 more than a standard declaw surgery.

A front-declaw laser procedure costs about $175 at the clinic, including anesthesia and an overnight stay. An optional pain patch costs $30 to $35.

There are nonsurgical alternatives to having a cat declawed, according to Hoobler and Tramill.

Pet owners should make scratching posts available to their cats, and even try sprinkling the posts with catnip. It also can be helpful to keep a cat’s nails trimmed to reduce damage to furniture, carpet or drapery.

Another option is a product called Soft Paws, which are small rubber tips that are glued over the end of a cat’s claws. They last about four months if you can keep them on that long.

It costs $18 to have a set of Soft Paws applied to a cat’s front claws at Bradley Animal Hospital.

“We’ve had pretty good success with them, but we don’t have a whole lot of clients who use them,” said Jill Evans, veterinary assistant.