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I have a friend with a cat. The cat has been neutered. The cat has been declawed. These procedures are not considered to cause long-term pain, only the discomfort associated with healing. So long as my friend takes good care of his cat, there should be no occasion where claws are needed for defense in an attack. These procedures allow my friend greater ease in caring for the cat. He does not need to worry about the cat spraying while in heat. He does not need to worry about the cat scratching up the curtains or his leg. The cat appears to miss neither his claws nor his testicles.
Ashley's level of dependence on her parents are probably greater than the cat's dependence on his owner. As much right as a pet owner has to ask a vet to perform unnecessary procedures on an animal, so, too, do Ashley's parents have to ask a doctor to neuter their daughter. Ashley will likely appear to miss neither her breasts nor her womb.
