Miki’s family thought they were doing the right thing having him declawed.

Declawing is the surgical amputation of the last bone toe and would be akin to cutting off a human’s finger at the last joint. The amputation involves the entire phalanx (including bones, ligaments and tendons) and can result in physical problems related to structural imbalances, as well as behavioral problems.

Miki’s family explained that he had been very “stand-offish” ever since the declawing and occasionally would bite at people’s hands when they attempted to pet him. Miki’s family loved Miki very much. As humans, we make mistakes and Miki’s family expressed guilt for having declawed Miki. They explained that they thought they were doing the right thing because he was clawing at some furniture. Miki’s human parents had both had declawed cats growing up and did not bother to really research the reality of what declawing is and potential issues related to declawing. They wanted to do whatever they could to make things right again.