You Don't Love Cats

I run across this phenomenon a lot, and it really does annoy the shit out of me. What I'm talking about is mutilating and imprisoning an animal to use as your own living teddy bear. Many cat owners think it's OK to amputate part of their cat's paws so it can't really fight back and their couch can remain in pristine condition. They think it's OK to remove its genitalia so it will become more docile and never breed — like a eunuch. They think it's OK for a cat to remain locked in a house for most of its life. And they've convinced themselves that they're doing the animal a favor because they'll "love" it and take care of its basic survival needs. I am pretty sure I've heard convicted kidnappers say similar things.

I know right now I sound a bit like an animal rights activist or a vegan, but I'm not. I just think this is obvious to anyone who actually gives enough of a shit to learn about their pets. During the last argument I had, I said that clipping and filing their claws make them far less dangerous to the furniture. Of course that was ignored, and the response I got from a "cat lover" was comical and went something like: "If I knew for certain it wouldn't scratch up the furniture or attack the other cats, I'd never have it declawed."

I'll tell you the sort of pet you really want: A robot. You really didn't want a cat. A cat will never be completely predictable. Also, they need to scratch things; it's a primal compulsion to take care of their claws, and that doesn't go away when you disfigure and maim them; just imagine having an itch you can never scratch, forever, and losing all the tips of your fingers; that's what you've done to it. And a cat is actually a predator, not some completely helpless baby. If you live in a decent part of the world, let the fuck'n thing explore it.They're territorial and don't stray far from their primary food source, AKA you.

Lastly, they aren't dogs. Let's stop trying to turn cats into dogs. They aren't pack animals. They don't live just to be by your side and to take your commands. They don't always want to be social. They don't respect being dominated, and what you call love from your pet, I call Stockholm syndrome. 

I'm not saying a cat can't be affectionate or have a real sense of friendship with you. I'm just saying there is a right and wrong way to go about cultivating said relationship. And I'll let you guess where your spirit crushing "love" falls.