Where Is It Legal to Declaw Cats
When it comes to understanding cats, there are many cat clues that we humans miss. PETA President Ingrid Newkirk`s book 250 Vital Things Your Cat Wants You to Know: The Cat Guardian`s Bible contains many valuable tips that will help you better understand the cats in your life. The law prohibits veterinarians from performing scratching procedures on a cat unless the procedure is «necessary for therapeutic purposes.» Cat`s claws – the practice of surgically removing a cat`s claws – is a cruel procedure that can be compared to amputating the last bone of each of your toes. This is useless because there are more humane ways to prevent cats from scratching furniture. And for the animal, the consequences last a lifetime, including behavioral and health problems. A cat`s claw was considered an effective way to prevent destructive scratching in cats. However, times are changing and a movement to ban cat claws has emerged. 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. It is already banned in US cities such as Los Angeles, West Hollywood, Austin, Denver, Beverly Hills and Berkeley. New York State banned the practice in 2019, while many other states are also considering banning it.
The decree began without scientific study or assessment of pain or an understanding of the long-term effects of multiple amputations. When domestic cats moved into our homes shortly after the invention of cat litter, a 1952 letter from a Chicago practitioner to an American veterinary magazine described a rudimentary procedure using guillotine clippers to amputate cats` toes. Unfortunately, veterinary practice has been standardized. According to the Humane Society of the United States, scratching is an inhumane practice in which the last bone of each toe is amputated, which would be tantamount to removing a person`s fingers from the last ankle. Under the European Convention for the Protection of Pet Animals, the following countries have restricted or prohibited the removal of cats: Scratching is a natural behavior for cats, important for their physical and mental well-being. Photo by iStock.com This change in the veterinary profession needs to be cemented in policy. HSUS is working closely with the Paw Project to pass anti-scratch laws in cities and states across the country. As Dr. Jennifer Conrad, founder and director of the Paw Project, points out, «Theft, better described as De-Knuckling, has no place in ethical veterinary care.» 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. We applaud Austin councillors for making the right decision for their city`s cats, and we urge U.S.
lawmakers to work quickly to end this harmful and unnecessary practice. New Jersey currently has its own bill that would ban cat-kralling that ends up in the legislative process. It is now illegal to scratch cats in the state of Maryland after Gov. Larry Hogan signed the bill on Thursday. Sign the pledge and share to protect cats and spread the word! «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. 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. These U.S. cities are leaders in compassionate cat grooming by banning clawing procedures: Massachusetts has also sought to ban the practice of scratching. The practice is illegal in many European countries, Brazil, Israel, Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. Fortunately, more and more people understand the serious damage that declawing animals represents, and no veterinarian worthy of the name would ever scratch cats.
«Declawing» is a deceptive surgical mutilation of cat`s paws, which is usually performed electively in healthy cats for human convenience. Although the term may seem harmless, it is a barbaric procedure — the cat`s claws are embedded in its fingers, and removing them is equivalent to cutting off a person`s fingers at the ankle. This has prompted many cat owners and veterinarians who previously considered scratching as a viable option to reconsider their stance on the practice. «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.» I have a cat sanctuary. Had 200 cats at a time. Would NEVER scratch a cat. Would someone want to pull their nails out? One-third of declawed cats develop behavioral problems after scratching. 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. He adds: «This is an unnecessary operation that does not provide the cat with 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.
«Too often, people think that declawing 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. «For too long, declawing has been treated as a routine veterinary procedure, even though it is an elective, non-therapeutic surgery (meaning it has no medical benefit for the cat) that is largely performed to prevent scratches on furniture. There are many humane and affordable alternatives that veterinarians can suggest to cat owners, including nail trimming, nail caps, deterrent sprays, and cat pinch scratches for added appeal. Declawing has been treated as a routine veterinary procedure for decades. But claws are increasingly recognized as useless and inhumane. It has already been banned in many countries around the world, where the practice is considered culturally terrible. Things are also changing in the United States.
Maryland could become the second U.S. state to ban cats, as lawmakers work to ban the practice. 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. By continuing to educate and raise awareness about the facts of the claw, we can help protect cats and make clawing a thing of the past. «You`ve heard dozens and dozens and dozens of voters who are really in favor of protecting cats,» she said. This movement to make the practice of cat theft illegal has grown in recent years, resulting in an increase in anti-decay legislation at many levels of government. «You can`t ignore the fact that animal lovers are outspoken activists, and this is an election year,» said Sen. Cheryl C.
Kagan (D-Montgomery), the sponsor of the Senate bill. «There are a lot of interest groups that have well-paid, influential corporate interests, but they are, you know, average Marylanders who want to protect cats. And they have no special interest except to do the right thing for their pets. It`s quite inspiring and hard to ignore. I`m so glad you spoke on behalf of Corpus Christi, but I hope all of Texas wakes up and pays attention to the fact that veterinarians who perform this cruel and inhumane procedure are doing so against their medical oath «You won`t hurt.» Torture is not legal; So I don`t know why this red state didn`t irritate all this while doing it against women`s rights. Lawmakers here seem to decide what is human or what is not human when it suits them politically. Check out our Action Centre to see if there is currently a prohibition on dilapidation that needs to be considered where you live. 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. 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.
California has also banned the claws of wild and exotic cats. In Canada, there is no federal law banning scratching, but seven of Canada`s 10 provinces have made it illegal, including: In the United States, the anti-decay movement has been led primarily at the local level, with many cities enacting their own bans on the practice.