cshenk wrote:
"Adam" wrote
Basically not being able to have a cat is, to me, the biggest
disadvantage of having the transplant -- but I'm not willing to risk
my life over it. It's just another thing I'll have to accept. Somehow
pet fish aren't quite the same thing.

Adam, this is radical and it may take a bit, but put the word out to
your local rescue places that you are a serious candidate for any fully
declawed cat. Front and back. It's not reputably done but it *does*
happen and they also get found as homeless if they survive.

Thanks for the suggestion! It's something to think about. OTOH
it's not just the scratching I'm worried about -- it's also the risk
of being around the litterbox, rubbing noses, and anything else that
might be contagious. What could be an unnoticeable infection for
someone else could be disastrous for me.

Writing this makes it sound like I don't really want the
responsibility of a cat of my own -- and considering the years
pre-transplant when I could have gotten one but didn't, I'll really
have to think about it. Interesting point...

Adam