Where is declawing banned

Thanks to advances in the field, we know so much more today about the ill effects of declawing and increasingly the veterinary community is clear: it needs to end. The largest U. This shift in the veterinary profession needs to be cemented in policy. The HSUS is working closely with the Paw Project to pass laws against declawing in cities and states around the country. As Dr. Enter your email address below to receive updates each time we publish new content.

I have a Cat Sancuary. Had cats at one time. Would a human like their nails pulled out? Es ist grausam wie wir mit den Tieren umgehen. Thank you for writing about this. Great article, here is Corpus Christi we have a problem with people dropping off pets and its heartbreaking finding a declawed cat. I really hope we can get this to end.

It is so cruel. I was just browsing for pet groomers for my current cat, and came across declawing on the services list. We need to bring this to an end!!!! The Humane Society of the United States is registered as a c 3 non-profit organization. Contributions to The Humane Society of the United States are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.

The HSUS's tax identification number is Austin is the latest city to ban cat declawing. More cities, states consider ending the harmful practice By Blog Editor on March 5, with 9 Comments. Subscribe to the Blog Enter your email address below to receive updates each time we publish new content. Experts believe Americans are more likely to keep cats indoors because many live in high-rise buildings in the city. Meanwhile, in rural places in the US, there are more likely to be predators such as coyotes and wolves.

Outdoor cats may find more suitable scratching material outside - like trees. It is also unsafe to declaw cats that go outside, as they may need their claws to protect themselves. However, there is also a cultural difference, says Mr Birdsall.

Many experts say studies suggest that declawed cats are more likely to have health problems, such as back pain, or behavioural problems, such as aggression. Meanwhile, a study that scanned declawed cat paws found that "very few people actually do it properly - the procedure tends to leave bone fragments," says Prof Gunn-Moore, adding that this could leave cats stepping on tiny fragments of bone when they walk. Dr Endersby says that cats can continue to feel pain after the declawing procedure.

However, Dr Drew Weigner, a vet in Atlanta who works on a foundation that funds feline medical research, cautions that "behavioural studies are notoriously difficult to accomplish successfully".

Many vets, he argues, simply consider the procedure unethical now because it's an unnecessary procedure. Many US veterinary societies are opposed to a ban because they say declawing should be allowed as a last resort , if the owner would otherwise decide to abandon their cat. In the UK, Prof Gunn-Moore says she has only ever declawed two cats, when an elderly client was not allowed into her care home with her cats unless she could guarantee they would not scratch the furniture.

As the care home wouldn't accept any other options, and as the cats were too shy to be re-homed, Prof Gunn-Moore contacted the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, who gave her permission to perform the procedure in this instance. Declawing "has to be an absolute last resort", she says, adding that most people declaw their cats for more frivolous reasons. Meanwhile, some vets have argued that declawing can be necessary when their owners have health issues that put them at risk.

One vet told the Denver Post back in : "When my own husband was in chemotherapy and his immune system was compromised, I declawed my cat. I love her dearly, but I wasn't going to take the chance that he might get an infection if she scratched him. However, the latest advice from the Centers for Disease Control does not recommend that patients declaw their cats - it simply advises that the cats are kept indoors , with "rough play" avoided.

They certainly seem to be. In addition to the proposed legislation in New York, individual cities such as Los Angeles and Denver have also banned declawing. However, he argues that in recent years declawing has become "an increasingly controversial procedure Mr Dale says that, based on his personal experience, younger vets seem to be more supportive of a ban, especially as more recent research appears to provide evidence against declawing.

We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from. To learn more or opt-out, read our Cookie Policy. Animal advocates are celebrating a big win in New York. Cat declawing is already illegal in a good swath of Canada and Europe. One prominent voice making that case is the New York State Veterinary Medical Society, which fought the ban tooth and, um, nail.

Many doctors direct that their patients have their cats declawed when they are immuno-compromised, diabetic, hemophiliac, on immune suppressing medication, and for various other medical reasons. These cat owners should not need to face relinquishment or euthanasia of their pet because the option to declaw cats is unavailable.

Cats that would lose their home if not declawed face a higher risk of euthanasia than if their owner were able to care for them. They also exchange a life of comfort and care to potentially spend years in conditions that may be far from ideal for long-term living.

In other words, the Veterinary Medical Society thinks that a ban on declawing could potentially increase the harm to some cats, causing them to be abandoned or put to sleep unnecessarily.

This is basically a debate about harm reduction: If we want to reduce the net suffering of cats as much as possible, is it more effective to ban declawing or to leave it up to the discretion of veterinarians? The health of the humans living with the cat is not listed as a valid reason for declawing.