Declawing is never necessary and should be banned across the u.s. as it is in many other countries. Banning declawing does not increase the likelihood a cat will be surrendered and if the author had done any research about places with bans in effect she would have seen that. If you don't eat a cat with claws, go to a shelter where you'll find plenty of cats that have been abandoned due to declaw-related behavioral issues. The best way to reduce the shelter population? Spay and neuter!