“The U.S. has seen an increasing number of state bills in recent years banning claws, signaling that lawmakers and citizens see the practice for what it is: painful, inhumane and cruel to their feline friends.” There is no evidence that reducing consumption in shelters – in fact, behavioral effects, such as litter box use and bite problems, are common reasons why cats are abandoned. In addition, all major animal welfare organizations reject declawing. One of the main (or essential) goals of many of these organizations is to reduce the number of healthy pets in animal shelters. Fortunately, a growing number of lawmakers are working to make declawing illegal. Yesterday, Austin became the first city in Texas and one of the few cities in the country to ban this procedure unless it is necessary for the cat`s well-being. The law prohibits veterinarians from performing scratching procedures on a cat unless the procedure is “necessary for therapeutic purposes.” “As the U.S. veterinary community grows increasingly opposed to declawing, we cannot continue to wait for the profession to stop scratching on its own,” said Danielle Bays of the Humane Society of the United States. Declawing or onychectomy is a serious medical procedure in which a cat`s third phalanges (toe bones) and claws are surgically removed. The American Veterinary Medical Association states that it “should be considered major surgery.” Research has shown that declawing cats can lead to increased behavioral problems and cause both short- and long-term pain for cats.

In terms of cat behavior, scratching is normal and healthy behavior for cats. On its national website, the Humane Society of the United States said people often think of declawing as a simple surgery that involves removing a cat`s nails, which is equivalent to cutting nails. “Unfortunately, this is far from the truth,” he says. We are a nation of animal lovers and our values and human ethics inspire advocates across the country to advocate for the bans to be lifted. We can`t give back their claws to cats that have suffered from declawing, but together we can write the history of scratching. As a global driver of change for cats, Alley Cat Allies is leading the way. Thanks for writing about this. Great article, it`s Corpus Christi, we have a problem with people dropping off pets and it`s heartbreaking to find a declawed cat.

Under the European Convention for the Protection of Pet Animals, the following countries have restricted or prohibited the removal of cats: On the other hand, many supporters of de-abduction, including veterinarians, have called for the practice not to be banned, as it is sometimes necessary. In recent years, more and more bills have been introduced in the United States to ban scratching, suggesting that jurisdictions across the country are finally recognizing scratching as cruel and inhumane. Fortunately, more and more people understand the serious damage that declawing animals represents, and no veterinarian worthy of the name would ever scratch cats. Here are some of the U.S. states that have passed, passed, or are working on anti-decolaw laws. “There is absolutely no use, period, no doubt, if a cat is scratched,” – Jennifer Conrad, DVM, founder and president of The Paw Project Thanks to advances in this area, we now know much more about the negative effects of spraying, and the veterinary community is increasingly realizing that this must stop. The Paw Project, led by a veterinarian, has lobbied for reform in this area, and organizations such as the American Association of Feline Practitioners, the American Animal Hospital Association, the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association, and the HSVMA all oppose disenfranchisement. The largest veterinary clinic systems in the U.S. — VCA, Banfield, and Blue Pearl — do not perform elective procedures on cats. And the American Association of Feline Practitioners banned hogging in its certified “cat-friendly practices” earlier this year. Most people are horrified when they discover what scratching really is.

Claw bans are a direct result of people learning more about cats – most loving human companions don`t want to mutilate their friends. There are only two states in the country where it is illegal to scratch a cat. The first state to ban the practice was New York. New York completely banned this procedure in 2019. The second state was Maryland, which passed a similar ban in 2022. In the other 48 states besides Washington DC, you are allowed to remove your cat`s claws if you wish. In states where this is not allowed, there is an exception for therapeutic purposes. You will need to talk to your veterinarian if you are interested in an exception that will allow you to declaw your cat for therapeutic reasons.

We work with veterinarians, animal shelters and people like you who care for cats to quit once and for all. Join us in educating others about scratching, supporting laws prohibiting scratching, and pledging to protect cats from this cruel practice. Making the process of decay illegal isn`t just a hot topic in the United States. In many countries, the practice of scratching cats for non-medical reasons was illegal under their animal cruelty laws. One-third of declawed cats develop behavioral problems after scratching. She called the practice “de-knuckling,” while others called it amputation. When a veterinarian scratches a cat`s paw, they “take not only the nail, but also the nail bed and part of the bone and cut it,” she said. Moira Cyphers, a lobbyist for the Maryland Veterinary Medical Association, said declawing has subsided over the past decade and has largely become a “last resort” procedure. This has prompted many cat owners and veterinarians who previously considered scratching as a viable option to reconsider their stance on the practice. Since scratching inhibits a cat`s normal means of movement and defense, it can also impact behavior.

Documented effects of declawing include interference with the use of litter boxes. Other cats may resort to the bite because they have been deprived of their primary defense mechanism. The claw fundamentally hinders a cat`s natural instinct to use its claws to stretch, scratch and mark a territory. She said the Humane Society conducted an informal telephone survey to ask if a veterinarian offered the procedures. Of the 30 who responded, 40% said they performed claw surgeries for non-medical reasons. “They do them for reasons, including protecting furniture well below the level of a real need to amputate a cat`s toes,” Bevan-Dalgel said. This typically unnecessary and cruel amputation forces cats to learn to walk again. Walking on the affected legs remains painful for the rest of their lives, permanently hindering them, affecting their balance and climbing skills. Due to their chronic pain and weakened defenses, declawed cats suffer from psychological anguish and are anxious in situations in which they were once confident.

Not sure if your community has a delawing ban? Learn how to find cat-related laws and learn how to advocate for humane laws and policies, such as banning cats from scratching in your community. “Too often, people think that scratching is a simple surgery to remove a cat`s nails – the equivalent of cutting their nails. Unfortunately, this is far from the truth,” reads the Humane Society`s website. “This is an unnecessary operation that does not give the cat any medical benefit. Educated pet parents can easily train their cats to use their claws in such a way that all household members can live happily together. “By continuing to educate and raise awareness about the facts of breeding, we can help protect cats and make claw a thing of the past. Lorig Charkoudian (D-Montgomery), the house`s godfather, said that once people learn what declawing is, it changes their perspective. “When people are interested, the idea that we would mutilate to protect a piece of furniture is abhorrent to people,” she said. There`s something you can do now: promise to resist the claws, educate others about the painful, cruel, and unnecessary practice of cat scratching, and advocate for bans to be lifted in your community.