The flaw with claws

I understand that Kitty O needs his claws in the outside world, in case he has to defend himself. But inside the house? Turns out Kitty has a way of using his claws chez nous, as he showed me the other day. I was petting him and suddenly he turned on me, bit me, and to make sure the hand that was petting him would never make the same mistake again, dug his claws into my skin. Let me tell you, it hurt.
So I did what I had to do: I clipped his claws. As I was counting, "one, two, three," as if he were a child who would understand that the ordeal was soon to be over, I discovered that some of the claws didn't need clipping. They had filed themselves or fallen off on their own.
And as always, it reminded me of my writing life, in this case, editing. Sometimes I remove segments so naturally I forget they were ever part of the manuscript. Other times I have to put my editing mind to work, the same way I took the nail clippers and went after Kitty O's claws. And just like Kitty O didn't make it easy for me, the process of editing can be quite painful. After all, Kitty O likes his claws. And often times I like a certain section and it takes discipline for me to realize it is not necessary.
And like the claws that always grow back, it's amazing how the manuscript, despite being clipped, reaches its original numbered state.
My first novel in the Commissioner Oscar D'Costa series, that I clipped again and again, can be found on Amazon and Goodreads. "The Girl Who Went Missing."