My cat is never going to the vet again. I got him 
seven years ago at a shelter. He had been owned 
by an elderly woman who had 50+ cats. She locked 
them in the house and didn't feed them. When the 
fire department arrived, they found dozens of 
dead or dying cats in the house. He was so 
malnourished that his teeth had fallen out and 
his stomach rotted away. He had to have several 
surgeries to save what little stomach he had 
left. They also had to operate on his sinus 
cavity due to an infection that could have 
blinded him. He had been recovering for over a 
year when I got him, and I made him two promises: 
no more vets, and no declawing. At nine years 
old, he is a very happy and healthy cat who eats 
like a horse and cannot go two minutes without 
being on someone's lap.