Santa Claws Compo

Cancelling out all the nastiness over Barbara’s win of this compo and the criticism of Michael is some wonderful news today from Kays Hill:

https://pictures-of-cats.org/kays-hill-cattery-roof-appeal-part-2.html

Just had to share it with the lovely people who have supported her and Michael.

hi edward, hope you all enjoyed your trip and hope you all had a very merry christmas. i had wanted to put on a christmas message to everyone from kays hill, but just didnt get the chance. busy busy busy!!
i’d like to thank everyone who has donated and sent their best wishes to us over the last few weeks. you are a great bunch and have helped us get a step closer to finishing our much needed cattery. we really do appreciate all everyone has done for us and we hope you all have a fantastic and trouble free 2012.

Hi Leanne just got back from latest road trip but got some days off now so catching up here.
Yes my wife is a saint to put up with my SOH heehee
Happy Christmas to you and Kevin and everybody else at Kays Hill and especially the cats as theyre my most favourite of all after ladies in bejewelled wellies.
Ed

edward you make me laugh, dont worry i dont think you’re a stalker (i’ve taken out an injunction just in case!!) your wife must know what your like by now i’m sure, just think of this, you’ve made a granny feel happy. sometimes we need a break from worry and have a laugh. the thought of me mucking out in a ballgown and bejewelled wellies is enough to make anyone laugh.

I’ve just followed the link from the page with the poster of Barbara donating her prize.
Sorry I didn’t see this page when the comp was going as I’d have voted for her story.
The other stories are good but Barbaras stands out as excellent and very fitting for the title Santa Claws!
I think it’s nice some of the other entrants have graciously come to say well done even though they may have felt disappointed they didn’t win.
I say well done Barbara and to Michael for choosing the right story and to all nice people I say have a good Christmas and happy New Year.

Man Id love to see you in a ball gown and tiara.
Only joking you know as I love my lovely wife and I hope my sense of humour doesnt make you think Im a stalker lol
I love reading about you and Kevin and Kayshill and seeing the pictures and all and I hope youll write more.
I dont know how you cope with all the hard work you must have there.
Ed

do you think i could get sponsored to muck out etc. in a ball gown i’d have to have a tiara as well of course, maybe i could just have bejewelled wellies!! oh well, just a thought.

Pics coming on here soon and you look lovely Leanne, you can’t really muck out animals in a ball gown now can you ! lol
We came back in our warm house, you went off to put horses to bed !
We don’t know of anyone who works as hard as you two do or who cares as much about homeless animals.
We wish we could do even more to help you as we do know what a struggle it is these days when money is so short.
You both deserve a medal!

me and kevin have just got back from collecting the cat food from barbara. there’s so much, it’ll feed the cats for a while thats for sure, ruth made us have our photo’s taken so no doubt they’ll soon be on here somewhere, OH THE HORROR OF IT!! i’m in my wellies and work coat and have a look of a tramp (and not in a good way HAHA) oh well never mind, i’ll never be glamorous. thanks again for you generosity barbara, for this and everything else you and ruth do for us. we really do appreciate it.

barbara, thats an amazing amount of food. never mind norman fainting at the thought of it i think lloyd will run for the hills when he see’s what we’re going to load into him, he’s not been well lately remember. thanks again, we’ll see you soon to collect it. you’re an pussy cat guardian angel.

Great to see our favorite story won and well impressed that the worthy winner is giving her prize to cats in care.

Barbara I don’t know you but you are my kind of person, congratulations on winning and PLEASE keep on writing …….

we got an email from barbara to tell us that we were one of the benefactors of her winnings and i just wanted to let everyone know how grateful we are here at kays hill animal sanctuary, and of course the cats will be very happy with their ‘prize’ barbara is such a lovely and kind person we were not surprised to hear that she was giving her winnings away for the benefit of cats in need, im sure the cpl are very pleased too. thank you so much for your continued support barbara, we’ll see you both soon i’m sure.

I’ve just seen the result and couldn’t be more happy that Barbara has won.
I loved her story best of all and I’m glad so many cats are going to be fed because of her generosity.
I wish I was as kind.
If I’d entered and won I’d not have thought of doing that.

What a great result and what a generous gesture from Barbara to give her prize away.
Its warmed my heart and so has some of the ones who didnt win hurrying to congratulate her.
Man it makes me proud to be British.
Ed

Thanks very much again, I’m really grateful to have been chosen as winner and still reeling from shock, I’ve smiled about it all day (apart from inappropriate times at work that is.)

I think whoever had won would have taken the chance to use the prize to benefit cats, I can only say that as I’ve had so much love and pleasure from cats all my life I saw this as an opportunity to give something back, to cats waiting for loving homes.

I hope there is another compo and I hope next time’s winner is as happy with their prize as I am today

Thank you again to anyone who voted for me and to Michael for running the compo and for choosing me.

As I said in my earlier comment Barbara hits that nail squarely on the head with her story.

Great news you won Barbara.
Congratulations!

Babz had to go off to work just after learning of her win. I think she will be finding it difficult not to smile….not good when you work in a Funeral Home and there is actually a funeral today.
Another compo would be enjoyable, I loved this one, entering gave me chance to further our anti declaw battle. I enjoyed reading all the stories and as they say ‘It’s not the winning, it’s the taking part’
I think it’s wonderful that a lot of cats are going to benefit from Babz winning this compo.

Hi Babz, fantastic choice of prize. I had no idea that you would do that. Well done again. I’ll get in touch by email asap.

Best

Michael

P.S. What shall we do for the next compo…! If anyone has ideas on a suitable topic for the next compo please say.

And finally I would like to thank everyone again for entering. I hope that those who did not win this time will try again because you are all very good indeed and it was a close run thing.

Michael you have made my day by choosing such a worthy winner.

WELL DONE Barbara.

It’s no surprise to those of us who admire and respect Barbara that she is giving her prize away to good causes.
HAPPY CHRISTMAS Barbara,you well deserve it.

Lovely way to spend your prize, lots of happy smiley cats this Christmas!!

Thanks to Michael too for the competition!!

Well done Barbara and what a great decision on how to spend your prize.
No hungry cats in your Shelters this Christmas.

Well done Babz, you are a very worthy winner and I’m so happy for you.
Maybe now you will believe you have a talent for writing as you won fair and square !
I know you hope to make a lot of cats happy with your prize.
xx

I can’t believe I’ve won! Thank you everyone who voted for my story and thank you Michael for running the compo. I’ve already emailed Michael to ask if it’s possible to have the prize in catfood from Amazon, this will be shared between Kays Hill Animal Sanctuary and Wear Valley & Darlington Cats Protection which is based here in our home town. I hope everyone approves, it seems right that a prize from such a wonderful site dedicated to cats should be used to help cats.

Thank you very much once again

Well done Barbara!! Fab story you deserve your prize!

Hello Competitors! Happy Christmas..

Thank you very much for making this compo a success. I am never sure that things will work out when I start a competition.

I have read the stories and all the comments…Phew! I found that the stories were of similar quality and a nice quality. Well done to all.

I also found that the votes seemed genuine. Although later entries got less votes just because they were late. That said all votes were included except the “bulk votes” from continental Europe, which I could not trust – sorry. I used votes to single out the leaders and then read those stories again.

The votes were:

The fractions of votes were based on split voting. I treated Barbara’s and Brandy’s number of votes as the same as the votes are not accurate enough to be reliant on fractions.

Having read Brandy’s and Barabara’s stories again, I have decided that:

Barbara is the winner. Well done Babz! The story is very good as it is about changing the mind set of people on declawing and I liked the “Santa Clause” ending. I think Barbara knew I would like that!

The prize is a product on sale at Amazon.co.uk to the value of £200. Please contact me about this. I think you have my email address.

Michael

Just a quick to say that I will be judging the winner and someone will win the prize. I think it can be done.

I want to thank everyone most sincerely for making this competition work despite the little hiccup.

The competition concludes at the end of the first week in December.

That is today (3rd Dec 2011) on my reckoning unless someone can tell me otherwise.

I’ll be announcing the winner in the middle of next week and give the reasons why.

Best
Michael

There are 7 entrants as much as I can count. Sadly that last touching story wasn’t long enough to qualify for Michael’s 25 lines rule.
With so much controversy I think whoever wins there will be some voters who won’t be happy.
We all enjoy different reading materials and as we know one man’s meat is another man’s poison. So how can this compo be judged by our comments?
If I was judging I’d opt out and split the prize into 7 because I love ALL the stories.

Happy Christmas all.

How very sad and unfortunately this does happen. Many declawed cats are either deliberately turned out or get out by mistake and die horrible deaths.
When will this cruel surgery be banned worldwide ?
We will not give up until it is !

It was a dark and moonless night. A cold and windy night. No one was abroad on such a night. The little cat was not missed when his people went to bed, forgetting that they had let him out. He tried to arouse them by scratching at the door, but they had declawed him and his paws made no noise. He never was much of a meower.

Came breakfast time and kitty did not rush to her bowl. When his people opened the door, they found their declawed kitten frozen stiff and dead.

Hi Michelle, I loved your story. I read the first part the other day and was looking forward to the second part.
All great stories and such wonderful support from all the writers of them for Michael’s PoC.
I’m just glad I don’t have to be the one to choose the winner lol

A bit off topic, but not entirely
ISRAEL HAS BANNED DECLAWING !!!!

POC is supported by AdSense hits. If we want this beloved site to grow and prosper, then we have got to attract more readers. Michael points out that the Internet today is very, very competitive.

Michael depends on income from page hits to do all his good charitible donations on behalf of cats, large and small.

I am irritated and vexed by the many calls, in comments, to restrict this site and voting to so-called “old participants”. This is wrong-headed and defensive. But what are they defending against–the crushing assault of barbarians at the gate? Look, this is not ancient history here. This is a modern cat-centred site. We want to enlist as many as we can to our causes for cats. All these complaints about newbies may well be discouraging potential new participants.

The kvetching yentas are not helping Michael, not helping POC, and not actually helping themselves.

I extend a warm welcome to newbies and encourage them to vote for their favourite Santa Claws stories and even to write and submit one themselves. You are welcome here. “Ignore that [would be weazened old wizard] behind the curtain!”

“Look what Santa brought me, Moma”, Amy yelled.

Reminds me of Tove Jansson’s _The Summer Book_, where the child is also always portrayed as “yelling” when talking to her parent-figure.

The person said in the comment that “For me, the others are also-rans. I did read them with attention.”

That is her personal opinion and are you going to deny her that?

The voting is open and it seems some people prefer censorship if their favs are not tops in the reader voting.

Dear Anonymous from Nov 29: Y’all wanted voting, y’all got voting. Never satisfied, some people!

You go: “I hope it is not beginning again, folk who have never commented before coming specifically to push for their favorite(s)and try to sway the judge’s decision.”

D’oh! Of course people are going to vote for their favorites. As for being newer faces on POC, what do you think this is, an exclusive oldies only club? I don’t think Michael feels that POC is like that. Reminds me of some closed golf or tennis clubs with exclusionary policies.

I now want to cast a vote for Brandy. And my wife thinks Bitsy wrote a good one.

continuation from Santa’s Pause..

Santa looked up, his face covered in soot. He blinked. Amy blinked. Am I really seeing Santa in my fireplace, she thought.

A pause…then a very faint meow from behind Santa’s substantial posterior. “It’s Belle”, Amy screamed.

Belle came staggering out from the black, depths of the fireplace. She had survived having Santa sit on her! Of course she was incredibly agile and sweet looking at the same time.

Santa, spoke. “Thank you Amy and Belle for saving me. I can now go on my way and make all the children happy this Christmas.”

“Here’s your present”. It was huge and it was the best cat scratching post Amy had ever seen.

Two hours later Moma come into Amy’s room.

“Look what Santa brought me, Moma”, Amy yelled.

Amy’s mother looked at the cat scratching post, scratched her head and muttered, “I’d better cancel that vet’s appointment….”

“Oh how wonderful my darling child…….”

(sorry I forgot to add my name last time)

I come in peace and with true Christmas Spirit.
I adore all the stories especially the CLAWS in the Santa CLAWS ones.
It’s very important that all kitties get to keep their CLAWS and writing pro CLAW stories at this time of year when little kitties will be given as presents is a top idea.
What a sad thing if those kitties lose their essential parts because people think cat doctors are right to offer it!
I wouldn’t deign to choose a winner and I am sorry for the person who has that task with all the pressure on him.
Ho ho ho off I go, things to do, places to go, people to see and all.
Merry Christmas everyone.

Then it is good cess you are not the judge new reader as I and by the look of it many others have not written most of the stories off as also rans.
How unkind!
I hope it is not beginning again, folk who have never commented before coming specifically to push for their favorite(s)and try to sway the judge’s decision.

Hello,

I’m new to this site. I discovered it today. What a wonderful place for cat lovers to meet and learn. I’ve never seen anything like it.

I heard that you are having a contest, to write stories about cat claws and Christmas. So I read all the entries I could find,

I thought that Bitsy’s was the best at incorporating all the elements the site owner Michael has requested. And it is very well written and fun to read, so it ought to get people interested in the scourge of cat declawing and doing something about it.

I also liked Leah’s dear true story, Brandy’s warmhearted and very vivid tale, and Rose’s old grumps Santa.

Hello,

I’m new to this site. I discovered it today. What a wonderful place for cat lovers to meet and learn. I’ve never seen anything like it. I’m telling my cat-loving friends about it.

I heard that you are having a contest, to write stories about cat claws and Christmas. So I read all the entries I could find,

I thought that Bitsy’s was the very best at covering all the elements the site owner Michael has requested. And it is very well written and fun to read, so it ought to get people interested in the scourge of cat declawing and doing something about it.

I also liked Leah’s dear true story, Brandy’s warmhearted and very vivid tale, and Rose’s old grumps Santa.

For me, the others are also-rans. I did read them with attention.

I have read all the stories over the weekend and whilst I think they are each and every one good in their own way, one entrant stands out.

Barbara who has so cleverly utilised
the Santa Claws Santa Clause.
A modern, imaginative, educational and fun story.

I’d vote the top three as…
Barbara
Leah
Rose

But good luck to all entrants and I did enjoy them all.

Wonderful!
No more I can say.

Leah, did you see my recent post about your story entitled “The Story and the Fable”?

I re-read all the stories and really liked yours. And I had a similar experience, which I recount.

Amy was in her bed snuggled up. It was mid December and very cold outside. At her feet was little “Belle” her new kitten. Belle was a Norwegian Forest Cat mix she had adopted from the local shelter. Six year old Amy knew her mind and she had wanted a cat that could jump and climb really well.

“Moma, I’m going to be a vegetarian when I grow up”. Amy’s mother, who had just walked in, shrugged her shoulders.

“Amy child, you know we have to go to the vet next week to have little Belle declawed”. “I don’t want her declawed, Moma”. “Those claws can do harm to you.” her mother responded.

“Can we wait ’til after Christmas, Moma, cuz Santa won’t like it when he comes”, said Amy, desperately trying to figure ways to stall the operation.

“OK, but just ’til after Santa has come. Now hurry along, it’s time to get up”.

Christmas morning arrived. Amy had hardly slept a wink all night wondering about her presents. Being tired she had fallen into a deep sleep but was awoken with a start on hearing a loud crash and a bang. She heard a cry. “Help, please help”. She rolled over, back to sleep. “Help, please”, the faint cry from downstairs continued.

Little Amy and lil’ Belle, following, gingerly made their way downstairs. She wandered into the living room. The Christmas tree looked beautiful lit up in the corner with the faint, orange glow of sodium street light behind it. She scanned to the left and saw what she thought was dust coming out of the fireplace, decked out in Christmas stockings full of nuts and little trinkets.

“I’ll have to ease back on the chocolates next year”, a mysterious, muffled voice spluttered from somewhere, but where?

Amy smelt something strange to her. “What was that?” she thought aloud. It was coming from the fireplace. Suddenly a pile of soot dropped into the fireplace creating a cloud that engulfed her. Oh dear, Moma want like that, she thought. Next the muffled voice turned to a pleading scream for help. And within a split second Belle shot up the sooty chimney. She knew how to climb. It was an inheritance of one thousand years of living in the forests of Norway. She could climb anything with her sharp claws and strong forepaws.

Half way up, in the foggy soup of falling soot she saw Santa! He had gotten himself well and truly stuck and Belle instinctively saw why. A huge clump of soot was blocking his way down. She scratched at it while hanging on with the other paw. Whooosh, bang, crash…Santa was down.

Amy looked startled and bemused as Santa stared up at her from the fireplace. “Where’s Belle, where’s Belle, Santa?” Amy cried out. “You’ve squashed my Belle, you’ve killed her….”

…to be continued…

Oh Rose I love your story!

Has truly warmed the cockles of my heart!

Thank you

What an amazing imagination you must have Rose
lol lol
I loved your story too.

Rose I loved your story too.
It did make me laugh about the grumpy old Santa Claws and I tell you, we do badly need some laughs at present.

Thankyou.

I almost didn’t enter but I had my story ready in the hopes the criticism would die down.
I particularly didn’t make it declawing orientated because I haven’t put the research nor the years of hard work campaigning into it that Barbara and Ruth have.
So I don’t have the deep knowledge and let’s face it, the commitment they have in the fight to help stop this legal abuse of cats which never happens in our country.

Good luck to all entrants.

Delightful story, Rose!

At first I had thought that you were heading towards asserting that, lacking claws, the kitty buried in the solidifying snow could not claw itself out.

I loved the part about the kitty’s bemusement to be riding with this grumbling old Santa. I could hear it in the mind’s ear, and I could imagine the kitty’s feelings and facial expressions.

Some of the entrants to this contest have painted very graphic pictures, and I like that.

I am very pleased the compo is still going. Thank you Rose for participating. There is still time to enter!

The prize will still go the person who writes the best story.

My thanks to everyone who has participated.

lol what a feel good factor that little tale gave me
I LOVE LOVE LOVE it

As they say on the X Factor “It’s all to play for” I think Rose’s story has proved that the compo is still wide open, that is honestly brilliant. Well done Rose and good luck to you.

Santa Claws was in a grumpy mood and didn’t really feel like turning out this particular Christmas Eve.

He was pretty tired of year after year parking his sleigh on rooftops then climbing down and back up chimneys. His whiskers got all sooty and he got sick of eating all the treats the little kittens he delivered presents to had left out for him before going off to their beds.

Mrs Claws told him not to be an old grump and to think of all those kittens who would be disappointed to wake up on Christmas morning and find Santa hadn’t done his job.

So Santa Claws reluctantly donned his red coat and off he went with his sack full of treats, into the cold dark night. He couldn’t stand it when Mrs Claws nagged at him.

‘Merry Christmas’ shouted everyone who saw him glide by.

‘Merry Christmas indeed’ he thought ‘Everyone is enjoying themselves and here’s me having to work’ He had conveniently forgotten he only worked one night of the year!

It began to snow and it got deeper and deeper and started to drift and Santa’s mood was getting bleaker and bleaker.

By dawn he had finished his rounds and was homeward bound when he saw a movement in a snowdrift. He thought longingly of the blazing log fire he was returning to and of Mrs Claws awaiting him and he wanted to ignore whatever was almost buried in the snow.

But his conscience wouldn’t let him. He left his sleigh and began to dig in the snow and up popped the furry head of a kitten, not tiny but not yet a fully-grown cat. Santa couldn’t tell what colour that head was as it was so white with snow.

He hauled out the rest of the unfortunate victim who was almost frozen stiff and dragged him to his sleigh.

It was very difficult and Santa thought ‘Huh it’s females work this carrying of kittens by the scruff. Hurrumph not a job Santa should be doing at all, I’ll be lucky to have any teeth left after dragging this one’s weight’

When they reached home Mrs Claws heard the sleigh approaching and hurried to open the door. ‘Come and help me’ shouted Santa ‘I found this little chap almost buried in a snow drift’. Soon the stranger was thawing out by the fire and drinking a special milk for cats as he told them how he had been turned out of his home because the family had got a tiny new kitten for Christmas.

He had felt very sad and had nowhere to go so he sat in the snow to think what to do. The next thing he knew he was riding in the sleigh with Santa Claws who was grumbling all the way.

Mrs Claws had a good idea. What about if this little chap stayed with them and by next Christmas he would be grown up enough to be the new Santa Claws and this grumpy Santa Claws could retire.

They all agreed that was a wondrous solution. So, it turned out to be a very happy Christmas and many more to come for grumpy old Santa Claws, Mrs Claws and the new young Santa Claws too.

Brandy, the other day I posted an invitation to you to correspond with me, perhaps after the contest is settled. It is not about the stories I want to correspond, but I think it would be interesting and fun.

Michael says that he inadvertently deleted that post and advised me to repost. Done!

If this might interest you, and I hope that it might, you–but only you– can obtain my private email address from Michael.

Kind regards,

~Grahame

Now that the roiling waters seem to have calmed, I have been re-reading all the stories submitted thus far. I think that Leah England’s gentle and true story has been passed by a bit in the comments, and I want to say how much I enjoyed re-reading it today. It doesn’t have claws as its motif, but in Michael’s hints to entrants, he gives a list much broader—he being Michael BROAD—than just the declawing angle.

I once had a aged and huge Mastiff dog. He was very gentle with our cats, notwithstanding that he could have swallowed each of them in one bite, so big was his mouth! Several of our cats liked to snuggle in the capacious space made between the dog’s snout and his head when he was reclining.

Our Mastiff had both an out-of-doors kennel, and his place in our home. We lived then in a cold and wet clime. And just as in Leah’s true experience, in ours as well we discovered a mere kitten snuggled with our dog on a bitterly cold winter’s night. We had not known this cat, and never found anyone to claim her, and so she lived with us for a long time after that.

Edwin Muir was a very fine Scottish poet who was very sensitive to animals, in an actually mystical way. His magnificent autobiography, entitled _The Story And The Fable_ gives me my tag-line for Leah’s own story and fable. Thanks for your story, Leah.

A poem of Edwin Muir:

The Animals

They do not live in the world,
Are not in time and space.
From birth to death hurled
No word do they have, not one
To plant a foot upon,
Were never in any place.

For with names the world was called
Out of the empty air,
With names was built and walled,
Line and circle and square,
Dust and emerald;
Snatched from deceiving death
By the articulate breath.

But these have never trod
Twice the familiar track,
Never never turned back
Into the memoried day.
All is new and near
In the unchanging Here
Of the fifth great day of God,
That shall remain the same,
Never shall pass away.

Thank you Michael, now we can move on and hopefully get some more entries.
I put the link on my facebook page hoping to boost the numbers of entries as I have lots of cat loving contacts.
I removed it but will put it back now.
PoC is back to how we love it.
yayyyyyyyy

It is difficult to strike a balance and to delete certain comments as the comments are a dialogue and interlinked.

However, I have deleted a number of comments and amended a few.

Please don’t take this as a personal criticism. I had to delete some comments because they referred to comments that contained personal attacks.

I have no doubt left something on the page that should be deleted and I have no doubt upset some people.

However, I was getting emails and comments that asked for action. I have taken decisive action to clean up the comments.

Last word: I love comments. Please keep them coming. That is why I am very reluctant to delete and amend etc. Sometimes it seems the right thing to do though.

I have not touched the stories of course. Some deleted comments have been completely deleted without leaving a record of that action. I decided half way through to leave a record, however.

I hope you do decide to run future competitions, Michael.

Perhaps lay down stricter rules from the beginning? Or, as Grahame suggested, judge yourself or select a judge. It seems that giving everyone the ability to publicly compare stories, and validate their reasons for voting for one story rather than another, is where most of the fury and fighting is coming from.

I also agree with Grahame in that the prize should go to your Maine Coon charity.

I am listening. It’s very early in the morning here right now but today I will be amending (or deleting perhaps) some of the comments that are a commentary on the stories. I’ll leave a note on the comment to say that.

I’ll do it today. Of course the stories will be left alone. I’ll judge the stories.

I am disappointed to have to do this. I am not sure that I will run another competition.

Please: any more comments should be a polite vote on the stories and confined to that subject. Thanks.

Best

There speaks one gracious and fine lady.
Hang your heads in shame those who insulted her.
Like Grahame said earlier only JC would turn the other cheek and I don’t see many of His followers here right now.

Note from Michael..I have deleted and/or amended a number comments that this comment refers to.

Whoever all these strangers are, here especially to crucify a genuine and loyal lady to PoC need to find something better to do.
We don’t care what your opinions are, this is Michael’s web site and it’s HIS opinion that counts …..so go on all you spiteful strangers, non contibutors to PoC, ask him ……….

Note from Michael..I have deleted comments that were personal attacks and the responses to those comments. If I have left something on the page that I have missed please tell me. All voting comments have been retained.

Please: no personal attacks on people.

Thanks to everyone though for participating and getting involved.

We have a minimum number of votes to register. Barbara did get three, but that is below the threshold.

Note from Michael..this does not make sense to me and will be ignored by me.

Y’all keep saying that Bitsy’s story has been compared to Barbara’s unfairly. Does that mean that you just don’t agree with the comparison? Because I see nothing at all unfair here. Nothing, y’hear me? Mebbe y’all are deaf? Blind? Well, what gives?

We don’t like declawing our cats down here either–just so’s y’all know.

Note from Michael..a part of this comment has been removed as it was a personal attack and response to a similar comment

We took a poll of our cat fancy and 47 voted for Bitsy’s as best of the lot, 3 for Barbara, 11 for Ruth, and a few for Ms England and for Brandy we voted 21.

Note from Michael….a part of this comment has been deleted as it was a personal attack

Grahame, if you go to Regina’s initial comment, she unfairly compares Barbara’s story to Bitsy’s. Don’t get me wrong, I loved Bitsy’s story, it was wonderful and I’ve been in a very ‘Christmassy’ mood since reading it, but Barbara’s has more activism, which is so important at this time of year, when shelters are soon to be full to the rim with unwanted cats. People need to understand that declawing a Christmas kitty is not the way to go!

Note from Michael..part of this comment probably refers to comments that have been either deleted or amended.

I’m not sure what ‘club’ you speak of. I’m merely defending those whose hard work and generous efforts I respect.

Maggie, how did you jump to criticising Bitsy? She is not involved in this.

But since you have brought it up, I think that Bitsy’s story will enlist a lot of people in our declawing advocacy. The cat speaks with great feeling of the effects on it of its declawing. And part of its “genius” is that this is embedded in a fetching and delightsome Christmas story and Santa Claws is an active protagonist. I think that Bitsy’s story might well save many a cat their claws.

Note from Michael..a part of this comment has been deleted as it was irrelevant due to deletion of some comments

Hi there, RUth!

I’m tickled that you liked my kitty ditty. I thought that we needed some levity—with a moral. of course.

Per your suggestion, I did post it to the poetry page at POC you indicated. Gosh, Michael has built such a huge and ramifying site! I still have not discovered the half of its wonderful nooks and crannies.

Note from Michael..I deleted this comment as it refers to a comment that I deleted. The original comment was an personal attack.

On a lighter note I loved your poem !
ha ha ha
You should add it on this page:

https://pictures-of-cats.org/declawing-poem-from-england.html

The more comments on any article, the higher that article comes up on google searches.
We know of over 200 cats whose claws have been saved by the people educating via the internet.
BRILLIANT that, isn’t it !

Laura is right, former lurkers have come out to vote and I want to make it clear that neither Barbara nor I have asked anyone to vote for us.
I recognise quite a few names of regular visitors to PoC who of course know us on here.
But also many new names from other countries who I’ve not seen comment before and some anonymous voters too !
I may be biased as Barbara is my sister and I have no right to vote in this compo as I’ve entered it myself, but I don’t think she went overboard with her elves etc.
Michael did in fact ask for the imagination to soar!
I suggest those criticising someone who has taken part in an honest and fun way to support PoC should write a story themselves.

Note from Michael..I have deleted and amended certain comments so part of this comment is no longer applicable.

First, thanks for the concern. I love that. It is welcome.

Secondly, I like to be democratic and to engage visitors, hence the idea to let people vote.

Thirdly, yes, I will always exercise some judgement over the voting. You have to because voting is not necessarily genuine. That is not to say it is not genuine here. In fact I have not read all the comments, yet.

But when the time comes to judge, I will arbitrate if that is the correct word. It sounds very official and I don’t mean to be that but I have to do my best to get the right answer.

I hope that deals with the concerns. Please don’t worry, I won’t give away £200 (or $200) without some care and consideration.

Coming online to see more Santa Claws stories, of course I’m following the discussion of judging. I think that the argument that having perticipants of POC, especially all these former lurkers coming out of the woodwork to vote now, especially for one certain candidate who has pulled out all the stops and feminine wiles (not dear Ruth), I say that I think that this voting is corrupted. I also say that this method of voting is impossible to implement fairly and that Michael, himself a solicitor, should have foreseen that.

My vote is for Michael to take back the judging into his own, and sole, hands. Otherwise his really generous contest is rendered a farce by his own POC members who ought to know better and behave better. You know who you are, and so do I. Let’s not add insult to injury by further “ad hominem” attacks. Win cleanly and without all the rancour you are stirring (we can read between your lines when required–you are pretty transparent, y’know).

Note from Michael..part of this comment has became irrelevant due to the deletion or amendment of the comment or comments that it refers to.

Little Miss Muffett
Sat on her tuffett
Eating her curds and whey;
Along came a Tyger
Who sat down beside her
And nibbled her toes away!

Moral: Pick on someone your own size.
Declawing sucks!

Solly’s post +

There seems to be a lot of “chazerei” in that ballot box.

I just looked up claque in a dictionary. Having a claque means having your friends clap for you. So it entails having your friends cast votes for you.

Internet polls are notoriously inaccurate just because of this, and the savvy do not rely upon them. I think that the same is true here with the Santa Claws contest. There is no way you could convince me that the comment ballot box is not stuffed, and so I have no respect for any outcome based on these comments. There is no way to sort out the kosher from the treyf, so to speak.

I agree with Regina: Michael erred when he changed judging the Santa Claws contest from himself to voting by number of comments.

It looks very suspiciously as if certain story writers have vociferous claques (different word to clique) and that the winner will be the person who has recruited the most people to vote for them.

This is a terrible way to go about judging this contest.

Michael, take back control of your contest, please!

Response from Michael 24th Nov. I am in process of amending and deleting comments that I and other consider inappropriate and responses to those comments…Michael

Bitsy’s is our idea of a perfect story perfectly fulfilling the aims of Michael’s contest.

Jocelyn and Roland say:

>As Michael says …..this competition should be delicate and refined ideally and a subtle reminder that declawing is wrong.

Barbara’s story is fantastic and does exactly what Michael asks for.

Bitsy brings real people into his or her story, brilliant but hardly subtle lol

The moral of my little story is that every kitten is innocent and should live the life they were born for along with the claws they need and deserve to keep.
We have it in our power to make sure this happens by continuing to:
EDUCATE EDUCATE EDUCATE

Apart from the bit I’ve quoted above which is obviously not really a part of Ruth’s story anyway but a PS, I think it is a very touching and subtle way to educate those who don’t realise that declawing is not a manicure.
That it is in fact the loss of a kitty’s toes.
I love Santa Claws Nicholas and Fluffy kitten and I love the fact this compo is being used in a fun way for a very serious subject.
I see nothing at all heavy in Ruth’s story.

Barbara hits that nail squarely on the head with her story.

As Michael says …..this competition should be delicate and refined ideally and a subtle reminder that declawing is wrong.

Barbara’s story is fantastic and does exactly what Michael asks for.

Bitsy brings real people into his or her story, brilliant but hardly subtle lol

Whilst Brandy’s story is good in its own way it doesn’t have the necessary Claws theme of Santa Claws.

Not discounting Ruth and Leah either, we love all the stories but our votes go to Barbara.

Good point Henri. Mind you I feel like hitting them over the head sometimes! Sorry if that is a bit macho.

But yes, this competition should be delicate and refined ideally and a subtle reminder that declawing is wrong.

Can I split my vote?

One vote for Brandy, one vote for Bitsy. Or else ½
vote each.

Mon dieu! We meant to say that we are trying to reach those in favour of declawing cats! Trying to convert them in a way they can consider, not to hit them over the head with it.

Nous prie de différer/We beg to differ.

Bitsy all the way for us.

We think that ALL the stories so far are sincere. Very sincere. But for the best balance of style, humour, and making the case against declawing in a form that will delight readers both pro and con, we have got to give the nod to Bitsy.

We Cat lovers are preaching, not to the choir, but to the unaware, unitiated, or those against declawing. Bitsy tells her attractive and important story in a form most likely to get those people to read it and to ponder it.

Barbara I don’t see why you say you won’t win! You have every chance with such a great story.
It has Santa Claws, Mary Christmas, the reindeer, and the elves, all wonderfully wound together to make a Christmas story with a meaning and with a wish that we all wish for too.

‘The Santa Clause’

An OUTSTANDING and very clever story which gets my vote.

Leah, I like your sense and your sensibility.

How could anyone choose?

They all deserve to win!

May I first say I’m so pleased the competition appears to have gotten its Christmas focus back!!

So whatever I say don’t have a go at me as I intend to be-little no one!

Grahame I was kind of thinking from your prose that you had a law degree even before you said so however can we not keep it simple? We are after all trying to attract people to PoC not alienate them. Its about cats not who has what degree or other.

To everyone else I would like to say well done!! I love all the stories!! I admire the passion.

Michael thanks for the opportunity to win some money which I’m sure most of us will pass on to the sad kitties who are still waiting for their forever home this Christmas.

That’s all from me except to say I would love to see some more entries!

Sit back, open that mulled wine. Find that mince luxury pie that you promised yourself and sit in front of the fire and read a short story.

This one is part of the competition. The fact that the author has mentioned me and Ruth does not mean that I will be biased….LOL!

P.S. I have just noticed that the same story is here in the comments. I’ll leave it. Why not. Thanks Bitsy for you warm story. Uhmmm…I feel very Christmasy.

PPS – To those who are arguing – Please stop. This is like a Christmas day gathering that ends up in a row! Except we are not at Christmas yet…

Thank you Bitsy for a wonderful story.
I don’t know who you are but bless you xx

Christmas Eve and twelve of the clock. All the family, Mummy, Poppy, and the kitties
were tuckered out by the Christmas turkey, the plum pudding, and the caroling. As Pappy put out the lights, he thought them all abed.

Ah! But one very curious kitty, Bitsy, sneaked downstairs just in time to see a fat and jolly someone enter the sitting room. Bitsy was a clever cat, and bilingual. So, she asked: “Who are you, please?” “HoHoHo, I am Santa Claws he answered. And I bring Christmas cheer and presents for all good kitties.”

“Mr Claws, can I have a wish?” asked Bitsy.
“And what might that be, my darling?” asked Santa Claws.

“Can you please give me claws, Santa?”, sobbed Bitsy. “You see, Santa, some mean people cut them off when I was just a young kitty, and I miss them terribly. Life is not the same without claws.”

“Oh my dear, dear kitten, I wish that I could honour your fervent request, and you deserve to have your claws back, but that is, alas, beyond my powers. But, tell you what: I have some good friends at Pictures of Cats. com, especially Michael Broad, and a lady called ‘Kattadora’ and all those good people are very concerned that kitties have their claws. They try very much to make this probem widely known and try so very hard to educate people so that, one day, no kitties will suffer as you have suffered, from declawing. I’m so very sorry that I can’t bring you relacement claws for Christmas, but you and I will work unceasingly to see to it that declawing is outlawed, and we will make you the ‘poster cat’ for our campaign.” Bitsy was a very photogenic cat, and, as most all girls, keen to show off a bit. So this cheered her up.

Santa Claws left a wonderfully soft pad for Bitsy’s kneading, and as quickly as he had come, he was gone, off to see other kitties. He had a big night ahead of him, but the next morning he slept the sleep of the just, happy in his work for kities everywhere.

Bitsy still misses having her own claws, but Santa Claws brightened her mood and she had a very happy Christmas.

I entered this compo because I love PoC and love supporting Michael as much as I can, as I have done for years now.
I also entered it to promote the cruelty of declawing.
I hadn’t high expectations of winning, yes it would have been nice, but in reality I knew that I wouldn’t win but that my story might save some cats claws and that is what’s important to me.
I love the other 3 stories and hope more people are not put off entering.

That’s my final words on this topic.

Note from Michael..this comment has been deleted as it became irrelevant due to deletion of comments it referred to.

Note from Michael..this comment has been deleted as it became irrelevant due to deletion of comments it referred to.

Note from Michael..this comment has been deleted as it became irrelevant due to deletion of comments it referred to.

Thanks, Maggie, for stepping in. I was going to say something myself but your comment does it for me.

I am sympathetic to people’s emotions etc. And I like comments as you know. It keeps the page alive.

However, it is a shame that a Christmas competition with a decent prize has been tainted by a minor argument.

I was hopping for some warm, Christmas type stories and comments. Good will to fellow men and all that…!

I think the combination of Christmas, kittens as Christmas gifts, declawing, scratching posts as gifts, love for animals and family life (including companion animal) is a nice and interesting combination of possibilities, hence the title.

Anyway, not to bother. Let’s press on. I would hope to get some more entries.

Michael

PS — since making this comment, I have amended and deleted a number of comments.

Note from Michael..this comment has been deleted as it became irrelevant due to deletion of comments it referred to.

Note from Michael..this comment has been deleted as it became irrelevant due to deletion of comments it referred to.

Note from Michael..this comment has been deleted as it became irrelevant due to the deletion or amendment of the comment or comments that it referred to.

Thank you thank you thank you for setting me straight I really don’t know how I could have coped if you hadn’t.
ROFLOL
Ed

Grahame I have not forgotten your praise of my recent article and of course I granted use of it for you or anyone else who wanted to use it. You might know by now I will do ANYTHING to help cats.
But it doesn’t mean I have to accept and agree with everything you say, without question.

Note from Michael..this comment has been amended due to the deletion or amendment of the comment or comments that it referred to.

Ruth, I thought that we were friends now and any misunderstandings were a thing of the past, if they ever existed at all.

See my comment to Edward, where I set him straight: I have been a lifelong campaigner against declawing, putting much effort and my own money into the effort.

My enthusiasm for Brandy’s story does not preclude your winning. Many have voted for you. Anyway, Michael decides. And I liked your story a lot, but felt that it was not my take on this contest.

Of course I appreciate your advocacy for cats, and have praised your efforts on these boards. You accuse me unfairly, and I am hurt by this.

Also, you and some others all but say that they, but not Brandy, will put any prize monies to the benefit of cats. How are you people so confident that you know what Brandy would do with the prize should she win? Brandy obviously loves cats too.

nb: My most recent post about a new Christmas tradition in our home was sent before it was completed when I accidentally struck the >enter< key and it sent itself. That is why you see a redundant shorter form and then the true message.And how soon you have forgotten, Ruth: I asked and you granted release to promulgate your wonderful broadside on how to care for cats. That was very high praise, was it not?

Barbara, I have no other way of communicating with Brandy and telling her of my great liking for her entry to Michael’s contest than through the comments section here

Despite what you want to tar me with, I am not lobbying,and whilst your coment about trolling is ambiguous in grammatical construction, if you mean me, you are absolutely wrong. Cite me an example of me trolling, Barbara.

I liked your story submission well enough, just not as much as I did Brandy’s.

I cannot fail to have noticed that you did not voice such complaints when the votes were for you; now that many of us are advocating Brandy, now you find fault. And notice that my comments for Brandy were sincere admiration and appreciation, couched as *personal* and supportive comments to her. I specifically wrote: n.b. To Grinches and the embittered: Appreciation of Brandy does not imply diminution of the efforts on behalf of cats by others on POC.

And BTW, it was not me who started the voting.

I vote for either of the 2 stories with a meaning as Im NOT a child who needs protecting from bad stuff that happens.
Im ashamed to say I once was part of the anti declaw movement but I gave up as it seemed so hopeless.
Man Im filled with admiration for those who have NEVER given up.
Ed

Note from Michael..this comment has been amended due to the deletion or amendment of the comment or comments that it referred to.

“On Christmas night all Christians sing,to hear the news the angels bring…”

And all our cats here will be gathered around us for our First Annual Christmas Eve Reading of Brandy’s enchanting Christmas story. This is the wonderful beginning of a new Christmas Eve tradition in our extended family of people and cats.

All the cats here have beautiful and large Christmas stockings, special crockery and placemats, and I roast a fowl for especially for them. Can’t you just picture them after this festive meal, gathered round to hear, before the carol singing, Brandy’s story.

Who knows? Perhaps next Christmas, and every Christmas, it will be our care and our delight to gather round to mark with mirth and joy the story of Santa Claws and the family cats from Brandy.

Thank you, thank you, Brandy. The gift of joy you have given is our best Christmas present here.

“On Christmas night all Christians sing,to hear the news the angels bring…”

And all our cats here will be gathered around us for our first annual Christmas Eve reading of Brandy’s wonderful Christmas story. This is the wonderful beginning of a new Christmas Eve tradition in our extended family of people and cats.

Thank you, thank you, Brandy.

I think that everyone should pay a little less attention to who is going to win and if things are going to be judged fairly. I believe this was meant to be a fun contest to get everyone in the Christmas spirit and it is Michael’s contest so he can judge it however he sees fit. No story is right or wrong. Everyone was meant to take it a different way and let their imagination fly. I love this contest and had fun with my entry. For me having so many people enjoy my story is enough. I enjoyed reading everyones story and do love that it got everyone talking, just wish everyone was a bit more positive in their comments.

Grahame: Thank you so much for all your kind words. I am so happy you liked my short story and thank you for sticking up for me when there was some nitpicky posts about it. I also think you should not scrap your story! Everyone has a different take on the topic and I love it! Look forward to seeing your entry.

Brandy’s story has become a part of Christmas for me, and I thank her heartily for it. That is no small achievement, and she gets my vote.

Based upon my reaction to having read each submitted story, I have found that from Brandy the most enjoyable in the context of Christmas joy.

In that case my vote goes to Barbara for the simple reason that in my opinion her story is the best.

Thanks for the last comment. I realize that this competition is open to people voting in a controlled way to try and win the prize. I accept that. I can’t really stop that. I hope and expect people to vote fairly, though.

However, I am the arbitrator and I will be as fair as possible.

In other words I will judge the winner but will take into account the votes. If there are votes for a story that is obviously not that good, it will not win. The story has to be good whatever happens.

Hope this helps. Keep voting if you want to.

Best
Michael

I do know 2 of the writers personally,in fact I am drinking coffee here with one of them now and I know they could get numerous votes from their followers if they were so inclined.

I also know they would give their prize to cats charities so it’s quite obvious I would vote for one of them.

As has already been commented,it needs to be judged anon by someone who doesn’t know any of the writers and all the stories judged unedited too.

A worthy winner

2 votes for Brandy’s story. It’s a lovely tale.

Hands down!

In the order entered

Ruth
Beautifully and cleverly written,a true Christmas story but also educational with a message and a moral.

Barbara
Very imaginative and entertaining,it tells of the true essence of Christmas,this is obviously a very talented writer.

Leah
Simply told as a true story from the heart,again it has the very essence of Christmas.

Brandy
Fun and again imaginative and would be a good Christmas story for children.

BTW I don’t know any of the writers personally.

Cute story Brandy! I enjoyed reading it.

Except for one small wording problem (
for me personally), your story is really wonderful and I vote for it unreservedly.

Good! wow how cute is this story! I love it. very well written nice work Brandi! by far the best one.
s

Brandy’s is the best– what a great little story. I had a lot of fun reading it. I vote for Miss Mittens!

Yes 4 wonderful entries in a wonderful compo.
I LOVE them all but Barbaras has to be the star so far.
I do agree with the person who said they should be judged anonymously by someone unbiased.

Brandy, your Santa Claws tale is wonderful. And I laughed belly laughs several times as I read it. It’s a very graphic story, and I just got done re-living it again for pleasure. In my mind’s eye I can see all the episodes. It would make a wonderful Christmas animated cartoon. Thanks for a big day brightener.

BTW, I’ve chucked my own effort into the bin now: it can’t begin to compete with your entry. I cede to you with joy, mirth, and pleasure.

On a lazy winter afternoon Miss Mittens was taking a long nap on the living room heat register. Much to her dismay the children were all excited about something and it peaked her interest to find out what it was all about. After a few long stretches she jumped up on the couch just to hear the last part of the story. “and that’s why we will put out glass of milk and cookies tonight for Santa Claus” Miss Mittens eyes widened. “MILK, did they just say milk gets put out for Santa Claws.” she had long wondered why her humans deny her this pleasure. She had only managed to steal a few licks here and there when her humans weren’t paying attention. Now she sat wishing she had stretched a little less and came quicker to listen to the story. Who was this Santa Claws and why did he get milk and not Mittens. Mitten had claws too. Just then the children said please read us the story again. Miss Mittens said to herself, “Purrfect, now this time I can get the whole story” The more Mittens listened the more confused she got. She had imagined Santa Claws was some mysterious cat that humans put out milk for, but the story went that he went down peoples chimneys and gave them presents. As a way to thank him they left him the milk and cookies. . Why a cat would ever do that was beyond her and where would a cat get these said presents to trade for milk. Miss Mittens would not be giving up any of her toys even for milk. “Well, I will have to get to the milk before this Santa character does. He can have the cookies.” Miss mittens waited patiently for the night. Just like the humans said they put a big glass of milk our with a plate of cookie. Miss Mittens could barely hold her joy in, she felt like letting out a sneaky laugh of a meow. She watched the mom lead the kids up the stairs and once she saw them go into their rooms Mittens rushed to milk. Shocked by what she saw she let out a big angry meow. The human father said, “No mittens these cookies and milk are all for me, don’t tell the kids!” That terrible man was gobbling down the cookies and washing it down with the precious milk. Mittens slumped down on the register and thought to herself ” I bet there isn’t even a real Santa Claws after all” Exhausted from spending the day stocking her humans she fell quickly asleep. When she awoke there was a present under the tree for her, her favorite kitty treats and a new real fur mouse. She thought to herself “wow was she ever wrong about that Santa Claws, and he must be a wonderful cat to still leave presents even after that human father drank all his milk and ate all his cookies.”

Merry Christmas to everyone, furry or not 😛

I love all the stories so far but Barbaras stands out for me.
Just a suggestion Michael but it would be fairer to have an independent judge to read all the stories without the names to them at the end of the comp.

I loved Leah’s tail of the Christmas Kitten and echo the sentiment that there will be lots of Xmas Kitty’s who are treated as one of the family and not just a ‘plaything’ for the kids…..

Ken….

It was a few days before Christmas & snowing heavily. No time for a little kitten to be out in the cold, especially a little kitten that had been bought on a whim; ‘my kid got chicken pocks so I got the cat to cheer her up, now its got diarrhoea I don’t want it in the house’ kind of a whim.

The wind was howling & it was so very cold, far too cold for a little kitten to be thrown out because he was poorly; he couldn’t help it now could he? They had only given him milk and kittens get poorly tummies on milk….anyway time for him to find some warmth or he would freeze to death. He was so desperate to be warm again, he so wished he still had his mommy; he loved his mommy; she would have kept him warm. Poorly kitten eventually found himself on the yard of Monty a friendly German Shepherd dog; Monty was lying in his warm kennel. Christmas kitten didn’t know if Monty was friendly or not but he just had to take a chance or he would freeze to death! He was so cold and unhappy.

Soon Monty was called into the house for his dinner but he wouldn’t leave the sad little kitten behind. I decided to go out & found tiny Christmas kitten fast asleep under Monty’s chest snug, warm & safe in his thick fur. Well Monty eventually came in followed by the kitten & both were soon tucking into their dinners; Monty his usual complete dog food & the little kitten a dish of chicken.

When his diarrhoea stopped I set off with the snow swirling all around me to my nearest CPL re-homing centre which was around 35 miles away the day before Christmas Eve.

I knew it would be a happy ending for Christmas kitten because he would be snug & warm with a festive dinner in his belly & because the CPL always find the best people for their cats I knew he would eventually find a loving home.
So that was where I left Christmas Kitten (we called him Chris for short) safe with his temporary carers over the festive season leaving his very own Santa Claws 35 miles away snuggled up on his quilt dreaming of a special little kitten.

You’ve probably guessed by now that this was a true story & Monty was our dog; this was many years ago & Monty has long since passed but he really was the most gentle dog who loved our own cats & any strays who happened to pass through. He loved the kittens who came his way & would wag his tail & lick them. Somehow & I don’t know how but they seemed to know he wouldn’t hurt them.
Chris did actually belong to some people who were renting next door; I found this out when I made enquiries after he ran in the house with Monty & yes they really did throw him out in the snow like a broken toy just before Christmas.

I think Chris is still out there somewhere lying in front of a fire or he could be near the rainbow bridge with Monty; who knows? I only hope that this Christmas there aren’t so many unfortunates out in the cold and those that are all find their very own ‘Santa Claws’

Here’s a story about a Christmas miracle and it was all brought about by Santa who while browsing on the elves PC early in the year read the wishes of all the people in all of the world who truly, truly, truly love cats and who don’t want them to suffer at Christmas or any other time, Santa was shocked when he read about what it was these loving people wished to bring to an end and so he came up with an plan.
Santa decided to visit the people who own and run the largest cat rescue shelter in the USA while they were sleeping and help them to realise exactly what they could do for the cats in their care, and it was something that would last far, far longer than just over Christmas.
So first Santa spent some time researching on the Internet just what he needed to do and then he asked Rudolph to carry him, each night, as quickly as he could so that Santa could slide quietly down the chimneys or in through the air vents of certain homes and use his new skill to whisper into the sleeping ears of the people who held the lives and fates of homeless cats in their hands.
Santa visited a lot of people, more than once, he went back time after time to whisper in their ears, sometimes Rudolph took him, sometimes Prancer or Dancer carried him, Santa was weary and Mary Christmas chided him for working so hard but Santa knew what he was doing and he wasn’t about to stop until he had the result he so much wanted.
In the shelter the staff had their meetings and decided on certain things, and gradually there seemed to be a trend developing where most of the staff really didn’t want to allow a cat to be re-homed if he or she was in danger of being declawed. They began to think that maybe they should make a rule about it and tell prospective adopters clearly that they weren’t allowed to take away their new cat’s toes. In the end they took a vote on it and decided to write it into their adoption papers as an additional and permanent rule. This they did and because it was just before Christmas and they all thought it felt a little bit more magical this year somehow, they decided to call this very important new additional requirement to protect precious claws “The Santa Clause” Santa was very happy about this and awarded himself an extra mince pie at suppertime.

If I had a Christmas wish I would wish for this to come true.

Nice go, Ruth! I enjoyed reading your didactic tale.

Oh, indeed I know who Santa Claus is, and Father Christmas, too. But ‘Santa Claws’ had me stumped.

Alas, I am presently far from being helped by calamine: I was on morphine! It has been a recurrence of shingles involving the eye and face and oral mucosa. For two weeks my several doctors had been barking up the wrong tree and treating me for a non-existent bacterial infection. Then a really masterful physician realised that I was suffering from a VIRAL infection: herpes zoster (shingles). I had to get up to take a dose of steroids and anti-virals, so I read your cute and timely story. Back to bed now for me. Thanks for your kind wishes.

Oh yes, about furniture. My cats have rarely bothered my furniture, and only when they first came to live with me. It must be something about how they are loved and respected, never a voice raised here, dependably consistent loving and RESPECT for their cat ways….I just have never had any difficulties about destruction or harassing of furniture and household accoutrements. And, of course, the cats have many enticing scratching posts, and each has chosen a favourite. It really does seem as if my cats want to please me and feel that I want to please them. It is lovely!

I enjoy my cats’ beautiful claws, enjoy watching them care for them, enjoy their happy kneading. I especially enjoy watching them flexing their claws as they ecstatically purr whilst getting their morning massages. Claws do not have to be a problem. But I am preaching to the choir here. You know these things, but, alas, so many do not know these things and need to learn.

Thanks Ruth. Just a reminder that visitors can enter the story using the usual input form.

But writing as a comment is fine. It is just that there is more space using a form as the character limit is 3,000 for a comment and 10,000 for the form.

Santa‘s heart was beating fast at the very thought of having no toe ends and no claws, he had never heard about it happening until he came to the USA as he had come from England, a country where it never happened to any cat ever.
‘So what happened then?’ he asked ‘did your new human mommy still take you home?’
‘Oh yes’ said Fluffy ‘I am very happy and she is a very good mommy and she is telling everyone they must never ever ever consider having any kitten or cat declawed’

Santa Claws thought for a minute and then said ‘Well Fluffy I can not make your wish come true myself but think about it like this. Your new mommy learned the truth about declawing from someone who knew it and she is telling everyone else she knows and they will tell everyone else they know too and soon the whole of the USA will know and eventually declawing will not happen to any cat’
Fluffy thought that over and realised that Santa Claws was right, that the only way it could be stopped was for everyone to tell everyone else the truth about how cruel it is.
‘My only worry’ she told Santa now ‘is that some people might get to know the truth and not believe it or not care that it hurts cats because they loved their furniture more’
Santa Claws sighed and said ‘Unfortunately that is so, but one day declawing will be banned and then only the people who really love us cats will have the pleasure of us in their homes’

Fluffy went off home quite satisfied with her visit to Santa Claws.

On Christmas morning she awoke and stretched and there beside her was a brand new catnip mouse and the tag on it said ‘With love from Santa Claws to a purr-fect and unselfish little kitten’

The moral of my little story is that every kitten is innocent and should live the life they were born for along with the claws they need and deserve to keep.
We have it in our power to make sure this happens by continuing to:

EDUCATE EDUCATE EDUCATE

Santa Claws comes at Christmas to all little kittens who are good, which means that every little kitten in the world should wake up on Christmas morning to a stocking full of treats because all kittens are good.

As Christmas was approaching, in a city in the USA Fluffy Kitten went to visit Santa Claws Nicholas in his grotto where he was sitting in his red cloak and hat. He made a very good Santa Claws as he had his very own whiskers of course.
‘Hello’ he said to Fluffy ‘And what would you like for Christmas young lady?’
Fluffy didn’t reply and Santa thinking she must be very shy said ‘Maybe you would like a new scratching post or a cat nip mouse’
Fluffy flicked her tail and said ’Santa what I would really really like is not presents, it is a very huge wish and sadly I don’t think it can come true’
Well Santa Claws was very puzzled, whatever could Fluffy’s wish be ?
He said ‘Tell me your wish and I promise to do my very best to make it happen’
Fluffy jumped up beside Santa and snuggled in and began:
’My wish is for every little kitten and every cat in the world to never ever have their claws taken away from them’
Santa Claws was astonished, here was a little kitten wise beyond her years, how did she know about such a thing ?
Fluffy continued ‘I was chosen from my brothers and sisters by my new mommy, I was very frightened as I was going to be taken away from my family but my feline mommy had told us all that it had to happen, we all had to leave her one day and go and live in another house.
My new human mommy was very gentle and she cuddled me but then she said she would naturally be having me spayed and declawed.
My first human mommy was very angry at that and a lot of talking followed as the mommy who wanted to take me home was told that declawing a kitten is a very cruel thing to do because it means having a cat’s toe ends amputated. She learned that cats need their claws for everything that cats do’
Well she sat and cried then and said she didn’t know all that and she would never ever have a kitten declawed now that she knew the truth’

Grahame has asked for clues. Sorry for being opaque, but the idea is to allow people to let their imagination go so I didn’t want to be too precise and limiting. Anything will do.

The title includes elements of Christmas and a cat’s claws.

I use this title because it is quite interesting, a play on Santa Claus obviously.

What does a kitten want most for Christmas if he or she is in an American rescue center or a cattery ready to be adopted or bought by an American couple for their daughter as a Christmas present for instance?

The keywords are: gifts (of life perhaps…), claws (to keep them perhaps…), welfare, Christmas, love, generosity, giving, respecting, Jesus, Bible, Christianity.

It can be a fictional story or an experience or a article about your opinion on a topic.

Hope this helps! 🙂 Perhaps I make things to hard. I don’t know.

Best
Michael

I’ll certainly have a go Michael and send it on to other cat lovers I know too, it sounds such fun. I think a lot of us will have a go !

Grahame don’t you have Santa Claus (Claws feline version lol) there ? He is Father Christmas !

My sister recently had shingles and was in a lot of pain, it’s horrible. Try some calamine ointment to relieve the itching, it’s not as messy as the lotion and is equally as effective and leaves less scarring.
Get well soon.

I’m in the midst of a painful shingles attack. Pardon my typo in my post. For ‘proocrustean bed’ read ‘procrustean bed’.

Thanks

Nice, generous, kittycentric offer, Michael, but what the deuce is ‘Santa Claws’?

Sounds to me as if it were a conceit, pressing a hapless domestic cat into the wholly anthropocentric, anthropomorphised proocrustean bed of a Christian myth. Please give us a clue, or clues, so’s some of us can write something relevant if we want to give your challenge a try.