Although it’s way too early to celebrate, Pennsylvania could become the fourth state to outlaw cruel declawing procedures after two lawmakers there introduced a new bill.
The Pennsylvania declawing ban proposal closely mirrors laws already passed in New York, Maryland and Massachusetts, and would outlaw the procedure except in cases where it’s medically necessary. (Although extremely rare, sometimes cats suffer from cancer of the nail bed and other maladies that necessitate surgery, but that’s a far cry from the elective declawing currently legal in 47 states.)
The state’s Veterinary Medical Association, the usual villain in these situations, is opposed to the ban. State veterinary medical associations argue that outlawing the procedure — which amputates a cat’s toes up to the first knuckle — would limit options for veterinarians and caretakers.
The veterinary medical associations, which contrary to their names do not represent all or even most veterinarians, also claim that declaw bans lead to more surrenders, but that claim has been repeatedly debunked by statistics from states and municipalities where bans have passed. In each of those cases, surrenders actually decreased, which is not a surprise to those who understand declawing, rather than “solving” any behavioral issues, actually causes cats to lash out even more because of the suffering they endure from the mutilation.
Here in New York, the Veterinary Medical Association successfully prevented declawing bans from making it out of committee for years, despite organizations like the Humane Society, SPCA, Alley Cat Allies and others wholeheartedly opposing elective declawing. Each state VMA buys influence with campaign donations, and relies on the lawmakers they support to kill declawing bans. Let’s hope Pennsylvania’s Veterinary Medical Association proves less adept at derailing that state’s bill.
The Last Cat of the Skies: The Iconic F-14 Tomcat
When I was a kid, the two Dream Machines that adorned posters on my wall were the Lamborghini Countach and the F-14 Tomcat. The Countach remains a car without equal with its inimitable, angular design that still manages to look futuristic more than half a century since the first models rolled out of the factory.
The twin-engine Tomcat is kind of like the Countach of fighter jets with its variable wing geometry, prominently angular air intakes and unique silhouette that makes it easy to distinguish even from the ground.
Grumman’s air superiority fighter was immortalized in pop culture when Tom Cruise’s ace fighter pilot, Maverick, flew the aircraft in 1986’s Top Gun, and the Tomcat enjoyed a nostalgic encore in 2022’s excellent Top Gun: Maverick, displaying its staying power in a film that also heavily featured newer aircraft like the F-18 Super Hornet and the sixth generation prototype “Darkstar,” based on Lockheed Martin’s secretive SR-72.
The F-14 is the last of Grumman’s “cat” aircraft, after the Wildcat and Hellcat, and while it no longer fills a role in the US military, it remains a potent weapon for other countries half a century since its first flight. You can read all about the Tomcat in The Aviationist’s new feature here.
New York’s deli cats get their say
Bodega cats, longtime fixtures of New York’s answer to grocery stores, are enjoying a moment thanks to a major push to finally legalize their presence, and popular social media accounts featuring photographs of the beloved mousers keeping watch over their stores and snoozing in snack aisles.
Now the New York Times has a feature on the popular TikTok series Shop Cats, which features “interviews” with the neighborhood felines.
Like Buddy, they seem to have an odd fascination with Mao Zedong, and their answers don’t make much sense, but that’s part of their charm. Check it out here.
Header image of a bodega cat courtesy of Pexels
Pain In The Bud 
ONLY the 4th state? What a joke. I could use that beer the cat is sitting on!!🤣But making a Maple Leaf. A drink invented by my clients after thier cats. I think it was invented for them. Bourbon. Lemon juice and maple syrup.
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I’ll have to give that a try. Do you know how much bourbon and maple syrup? I’m guessing just a splash of lemon juice.
Hmmm…now I’m thinking about a drink named after Buddy.
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There is no recipe. You use ingredients the way you want. I like it sweet so less bourbon whiskey. Bit more maple syrup and lemon juice. What i did to make it cold is put some lemon juice in freezer couple of hours in a glass. Add maple syrup and bourbon. How about a Buddinski cocktail? 🤣Could be a sweet part and maybe something sour for his bad moods if any? Millies drink has more liqour in recipe because she is bit hard around the edges. Which means you cannot pick her up and her owners just started touching her after 2 years. Rescued street cats.
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I’ll have to research a potential Bud drink. I like your idea of reflecting the cat’s personality in the ingredients. What kind of ingredients say “Thinks he’s a tiger and wants to take over the world”?
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Good to read the feel-good news about making bodega cats legal, I sure hope they do! I also hope they succeed in making declawing illegal in PA. State veterinary associations are often clueless. Awhile back the AL one was trying to shut down low-cost spay-neuter clinics. There’s a video on YouTube of the late Dr. William Weber telling them they had a “hole in their heads where compassion ought to be”. Long video though, and long story about them trying to shut him down because of his opposition.
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The state VMAs tend to have a membership that includes less scrupulous vets, including chains/corporate practices and practices that will take on wild animal “pets,” as well as those who view declawing as a steady income stream.
Vets who really love the animals and those who operate cat-only clinics don’t join those groups, from what I’ve seen.
The AL VMA attempting to shut down low cost spay-neuter clinics definitely tracks with their general attitude.
I adopted Bud after I’d been laid off from Newsday, so without the SPCA I’d have been charged a ridiculous amount to get him neutered and get his first shots. Even the low cost option was something like $250 with pain medication included, since things are so expensive in New York. (A loopy Buddy on pain meds was pretty amusing though, even though I was very sympathetic to the little guy having lost his balls. As far as he knows, he still has them…in his toy basket.)
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Vets we dealt with in cat rescue REFUSED to to it before it was illegal. My vet REFUSED to do it before it was illegal. A vet who did someones cat when it was legal? Did it and cat died from infection.
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Never heard of a Bodega cat, but I’d sure like to meet one…or two! Good news from PA; only 46 more to go.
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Most New Yorkers don’t have cars, and supermarkets are rare in dense urban areas, so the whole concept of driving to the supermarket, loading up two weeks’ worth of stuff in shopping carts and putting it all in the trunk to drive home just isn’t a thing.
You buy what you can fit in a bag or two at the bodega and walk home with it.
But NYC is also infamous for rats, and bodegas almost always have full service delis and often hot food, so people adopt cats who keep the places free of rodents. When they’re not “working,” the cats are usually sleeping on the counter up front, so they become the store mascots and people love them.
The fine for a rat infestation and having a cat is the same, so the cat is always the more attractive option.
The movie “Vampires vs The Bronx,” a comedy/horror about three kids who realize actual vampires are buying up property, gentrifying their neighborhood and feeding on people, is a great example of showing how central bodegas are to the internet. The local bodega is owned by a Puerto Rican guy named Tony, the neighborhood loves him, and the kids all hang out there and play XBOX at the bodega after school.
Oh, and Tony has a cat who can spot the vampires a mile away and is not pleased about them…
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Thank you for this background, which is fascinating. I’m reminded of a traditional distillery we visited in Scotland many years ago, which employed a feline “rodent control officer” to keep rats away from the drying floor upon which the barley was spread out to dry before whisky making began in earnest. History does not record whether the cat in question developed a taste for Scotch!
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Name of drink for Bud? IAMKING.IRULE are a few..Say it like one word. And very fast. 🤣
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Michigan’s declaw ban is stuck in the Legislature too. Declawing also makes cats feel more vulnerable around other animals. And it’s a lot harder to get to high ground. Luckily, my parents weren’t fans of the practice. My mother thought it was barbaric, and my dad wasn’t about to let anyone near “his” cat with a little clipper (or whatever they use). Tigger was the sweetest, smartest cat I’ve ever met.
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Sounds like you had great parents!
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