Give the cat a break!
By Mauri Formigoni

A recent adoption of a pre-owned cat caught me up short. I was reminded of a Chinese lady who had had her feet bound as a child. This cat had impossibly tiny feet, and I slowly realized that she had been declawed! Do you know what this entails? One portion of the toes is surgically removed in addition to the claws. It is very painful and recovery is slow.

Although I understand the agony of finding your couch shredded by a cat needing to sharpen her equipment, consider the alternative. At the animal shelter meeting in Dallas in the spring, they discussed regularly trimming the nails, adding little fake nails made of rubber over the existing nails, and providing alternative scratching posts. I tried herbal sprays on the furniture, to no avail. It is hard to break cats of the habit, but cutting off part of the foot seems extreme. In addition to the pain, the animal is left completely defenseless, unless they never ever leave the indoors. 

We at the Sociedad Protectora de Animales will not surgically remove claws, dock dogs’ tails or dock their ears to make the animals appear fiercer. Sorry. We do not agree with these practices. 

I began life with a dog. My mother hated cats, and so, therefore, did I—(M)until the time that a pure white cat entered the kitchen of my family home and taught us what to do with him. We called him Shaman, because he appeared as if by magic. I will always be grateful to him for instructing me about cats. One day he brought home a little black kitten that he fed, groomed and taught to be sociable. Since then I have been in awe of male cats that nurture, preside and teach. There is a great deal to learn, but often cats choose us, not the reverse. Potential adopters enter the shelter stating that they want a big orange fluffy cat, and leave with a small grey tiger who selected them. It is the best connection! 

Add intensity and sensitivity to your life with a cat. Joanna and Abril both deserve good homes. Joanna, a long-haired calico cat, is calm, seductive and, of course, the hardest color to adopt. These tweed cats, always female, are red-orange, white and grey (or black, yellow and red) and for some reason, are the slowest to be adopted. But I think that this is the most interesting costume. Also consider Abril, another adult female cat, striking an art deco pose for your viewing pleasure. Come visit and see who chooses you and how your life is changed.

The shelter is located at Los Pinos 7, just off Calzada de la Estacion, and is open Monday through Friday from 11am to 2pm. For veterinarian services, you will need an appointment; call 152-6124 to speak with our secretary. We offer less-than-cost service to those who can afford no other. Patients who come from families with adequate funds will be asked to pay the full cost of medicines, services, etc. We thank you for your loyalty and ask that you donate whenever possible so that impoverished, animal-loving families can adopt and keep their animals healthy. Check our website at www.spasanmiguel.org or meet us in the Jardín on Thursdays, 11:15am–(N)1:15pm, weather permitting. Email me at mauriformigoni@yahoo.com  for sources of cat protection.