Virginia has become the third state to enact a ban on declawing

Virginia has become the third state to enact a ban on declawing, joining New York, which was the first in 2019, and Maryland in 2022. Concurrently, the Rhode Island Senate has passed a similar ban, which is now pending in the House.

Cats need claws to climb trees to be happy and to express their natural instincts and desires. Image: MikeB.

This development is seen as positive, considering that declawed cats face a significantly higher risk of back pain, avoidance of the litter box, aggression, and excessive grooming. Moreover, the risk of pain is exacerbated if bone fragments are left behind, a consequence of poor surgical techniques in over 60% of declawing cases.

Contrary to popular belief, prohibiting declawing does not increase the likelihood of cats being abandoned. Research indicates that there was no significant rise in the number of cats surrendered to shelters for destructive scratching post-ban, as most declawing was pre-emptive rather than reactive. The study concluded that cat owners are capable of managing their pets' scratching behaviour without resorting to declawing.

Arizona state legislature is discussing the banning of cat declawing

The legislature of the US State of Arizona is discussing a possible ban on cat declawing. This is reported by Fox News online. They say that an Arizona House committee has approved a bill that would ban cat owners from declawing unless it was for genuinely therapeutic purposes i.e. in the best interests of the cat and for the benefit of the cat's health, which is hardly ever the case.

THERE IS A VIDEO FROM FOX NEWS AT THE BASE OF THE PAGE WHICH REPORTS ON THIS DEVELOPMENT IF YOU'D PREFER TO HEAR ABOUT THIS VISUALLY BUT THERE WILL BE ADVERTS.

The bill is called HB 2224. It provides for fines if any veterinarian performs the procedure unless it is for genuinely therapeutic purposes. A supporter of the bill or perhaps the proposer of the bill, Arizona State Representative Amish Shah, rightly said that: "With all the research and science that we have accumulated on this topic, it is cruel, it is mutilation, and it needs to stop."

The usual counterargument is presented by those who are against a ban, which is this: it is up to the veterinarian in consultation with the cat's owner to decide whether declawing should take place or not. This is a very, very poor argument because veterinarians sometimes actively promote cat declawing against the interests of the cat. They do it for monetary purposes. Therefore, you cannot rely on veterinarians to provide proper advice in line with their oath. Therefore, customers are prevented from making a wise decision as they are in the hands of their vets.

Poster by Ruth aka Kattaddorra.

As for cat owners, often they are indoctrinated with the idea that declawing is okay or that it is simply the removal of the 'nail' when it is actually a partial amputation of each toe. Veterinarians sometimes do not educate cat owners on the topic. They leave them blind and they pull the wool over their eyes. Once again, the purpose is to milk the system and make some money out of this operation which is described as barbaric by Britain's leading veterinarian and author, Dr. Bruce Fogle.

RELATED: Declawed cats pee seven times more often outside litter box than non-declawed cats.

Veterinarians have fought hammer and tong to avoid bans on declawing across the USA because it is a money stream. New York State is the only state in the USA that currently bans declawing. All praise to them. As I recall, there are nine cities, eight of which are in California, which have banned declawing. As I recall, the ninth is Denver.

Arizona State Representative Amish Shah. Pic in the public domain.

It is a slow and long fight to eliminate cat declawing from America. In North America, Canada is beating America hands down in gradually eliminating this operation from the country through piecemeal bans across various territories and provinces.

RELATED: The Paw Project Trash Colorado Veterinary Medical Association’s Defence of Declawing.

I would urge Arizona to press on with this and don't be sidetracked by the naysayers who don't understand cat welfare. Declawing is almost universally carried out at the convenience of the cat's owner for non-therapeutic reasons. It's is in direct conflict with the veterinarian's oath which they swear before they practice. It's extraordinary that it is allowed and that the AVMA does not criticise veterinarians who do it.

The oath of American veterinarians is utterly worthless and pointless. It's worse than that because it's a pretence. It gives the impression that the vets generally are concerned about animal welfare whereas they simply can't be if they declaw cats.

Note: This is a video from another website which is embedded here. Sometimes they are deleted at source which stops them working on this site. If that has happened, I apologise but I have no control over it.

Infographic on cat declawing which is self-explanatory

Yes, I am hammering away as usual on what seems to have become a boring topic to some people in America. I'm sorry if you are bored by it. I've become somewhat bored myself. However, I will never stop being disgusted by the operation. Every time I think about it it conjures up images of vulnerable kittens being hauled into veterinary clinics before a veterinarian who has totally lost his moral compass. And he gets the guillotine out and chops off the ends of those toes. Rant continued below the image....

Infographic on cat declawing which is self-explanatory. My thanks to Cassandra.

The poor kitten hasn't got a clue what is going on. He or she is bemused and confused. And he or she will be in chronic pain when they come around from the operation. They will be climbing the walls of their cage moaning in agony. Despite a heavy dose of painkillers. And then if they are lucky they will walk fairly normally for the rest of their lives but they may be one of the many hundreds of thousands or perhaps millions of cats who develop complications which have a severe and negative impact upon their lives. 

RELATED: Complications Of Declawing.

This operation is unnecessary. It is morally repugnant. It is an aberration and a stain on the veterinary profession in North America. It must stop. There has been piecemeal prohibitions of declawing in some cities in California and New York state banned it recently. 

But this is not enough. Piecemeal prohibitions means that millions of kittens are being declawed. It could stop tomorrow in a federal ban but of course there is no chance of that because it is not on the radar of the politicians who run America.

Come on America; Canada is beating you to a nationwide ban on declawing!

NEWSA AND VIEWS - SASKATCHEWAN, CANADIAN PROVINCE: Some more great news on the long journey to ending the declawing of cats in North America. Canada is miles ahead of America in doing away with this obnoxious operation. Saskatchewan have now banned it. They follow in the footsteps of other jurisdictions in Canada who've banned it: British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, P.E.I. and Newfoundland and Labrador.

The Saskatchewan Veterinary Medical Association's membership recently passed a new bylaw to ban the declawing of cats within the province. File / Global News

Come on America. Please for the love of God get rid of it. You know it is no good, immoral and cruel.

The Saskatchewan Veterinary Medical Association (SVMA) passed the new bylaw on Sept. 12 during its annual general meeting. The law was proposed by members. The majority voted for a ban. The ban is currently active. It states: "No member shall perform elective and non-therapeutic partial digital amputation of any felid including domestic cats". It is the usual ban which prohibits declawing when it is not for the benefit of the cat; 99% are at the convenience of the owner.

Saskatchewan. Image: Wikipedia.

Associated: New York state declawing ban passes state legislature

The good vets of Canada who don't want to declaw anyway can now turn to their clients and explain why they can't comply with their request. It is now time to educate the cat owning public of Canada. I hope and presume the vets will do this.

There was already a decline in the number of people requesting declawing before the ban took effect. The message is clearly getting across to the public. They are beginning to understand that it is not removing the claw but a part of the toe from the last joint. It is an amputation. Vets have had a habit of downplaying the operation. Unethical behaviour.

And, yes, you know that cats walk on their toes! Think of it. Think what it means to a cat to lose the ends of all their toes on their forepaws. Confusion, pain, distress and sometimes complications. Too many complications. To many cats going back to the vet for a follow up because the cat does not feel well. Botched? How many?

America needs an animal sentience law

I recently wrote about the Animal Welfare (Sentience) Bill, which is a proposed animal welfare law going through UK's Parliament at the moment. It will enshrine in law the principle that animals are sentient. What this means is that the fact that animals have feelings and feel pain will be recognised in law and it will ensure that people, their policies and activities must not clash with the basic principle that animals are sentient creatures.

American needs animal sentience legislation. Image: Pixabay.

It is like a bedrock, a common standard, a thread that should run through all laws and activities in a country. When any new law or existing law clashes with this basic principle of animal sentience then it should be reviewed by a committee set up under the Animal Welfare (Sentience) Act, as it will become when it is enacted.

It is a beautiful piece of animal welfare legislation (provided it is well drafted) because it automatically protects animals at a fundamental level. Of course, many people will object to it. However, the people who object should not be listened to because they are the ones who are abusing animals or who are indifferent to animal abuse. It is already far too late to stop animal abuse and exploitation. Humankind can do much better.

It is time that humankind stopped exploiting animals for their own benefit. I don't feel that we have the right to do it. And the world is moving in that direction. The world is catching up with my thoughts on this. Of course, the world is developing at different speeds which is a great barrier to harmony on the planet but the UK and America can lead on animal welfare.

This piece of UK legislation authorises a body of people, a committee, to investigate activities and policies which rub up against this sentience legislation. But the committee will not be able to make any orders or legal demands. They can simply advise and suggest. That is a weakness but it is probably a compromise. There will be many objectors, as mentioned, particularly the conservative elite or the rich Republicans in America (their equivalent).

They are the people who like to go sport hunting or trophy hunting. They are the ones who take enjoyment in killing animals. Fishing is a problem too. People think fish are inanimate objects but they feel pain. This has been proved in a study. One day fishing will be banned I suspect but it will be a long way off. This sentience law would impact angling for pleasure in my opinion

It would also dramatically and fatally impact the declawing of cats in America, which is perhaps the major reason why I love this proposed act of Parliament. If America had something similar going through their federal legislation it would spell the end of declawing, there is no doubt about it. Declawing is unsustainable in a moral society which genuinely regards cats as sentient beings.

This legislation will change attitudes to animals. Laws can do that. They infiltrate the minds of the citizens of the country to the point where they gradually absorb the law as a societal norm and accept it. This is one of the great benefits of well written legislation. At that point, when the principles of the sort of law are fully integrated into society, enforcement will be far less important and the standards of animal welfare would have been raised substantially.

In the UK, the sort of people who are objecting to it are those who are engaged in countryside pursuits such as shooting birds and foxhunters, even though foxhunting is banned but it still takes place under the radar. The farmers might object but provided a law is well written farmers shouldn't because it should not impact them unless they are abusing livestock.

The only people who would complain are those who are unjustifiably harming animals. There is never a justification for abusing animals and thereby if a farmer did abuse them, they should feel the full force of the law against them. An aspect of farming which may be impacted is the provision of halal meat. This is arguably a cruel process because the throats of animals are slit without being stunned. UK veterinarians wanted this to be banned or they wanted some restrictions placed on it. An animal sentience act such as the one mentioned would impact the production of halal meat in my view.

This law has the power to infiltrate all aspects of humankind's relationship with animals. It would take time for people to adjust because there is plenty of animal abuse even in the UK. But adjust they will and the animals will at least have an umbrella law protection.

Nevada may be the second US state to ban declawing

Cat lovers: keep your fingers and everything else crossed because Assemblywoman Susie Martinez has introduced a bill into Nevada's legislature to ban declawing across the state. New York State was the first in and they did it some time ago (2019). There are 9 cities (as I recall) who have also banned declawing. All bar one are in California. The ninth is Denver if my memory serves me correctly.

Martinez is not a cat lover but she is clearly a decent person. She regards declawing as inhumane and cruel - correct!

Her bill will be a classic declawing ban. All declawing will be prohibited except when it is in the interests of the cat's wellbeing and health, which is the way it should be if the veterinarians obeyed their damnable oath which means almost nothing.

READ ABOUT THE COMPLICATIONS OF DECLAWING. REMEMBER IT IS NOT DECLAWING. IT IS AN AMPUTATION TIMES 10.

There will be a penalty for violators: a $1,000 fine as a starting point apparently, according to the website CarsonNow.com.

The bill also provides for other penalties that the State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners will be able to take against violators.

The vets will fight tooth and nail to block the bill's progress. They hate the thought of losing the lucrative declawing market. It is of no interest to them that it is cruel and against their oath.

The say it will be expensive to set up a tracking system and to train vets (on what? - to act decently?!) and to investigate violations.

Comment: this bill is brave. It is liable to fail. If it does she and her supporters should try again until it passes. At some time in the not too distant future declawing cats will be voluntarily stopped because it will be perceived as an outdate and inhumane process which originated in a different era, the 1950s.

The vets will realise that it will be good for business to stop declawing when the cat owning population finally understand that it is immoral and utterly unacceptable.

Austin City Council could vote to ban the declawing of cats

Austin City Council could vote to ban the declawing of cats. The video on this page says more or less all you need to know but I'll add something. Austin could follow 9 other cities who've banned declawing (and did so some time ago), 8 of which are in California (Los Angeles, San Francisco, West Hollywood, Burbank, Santa Monica, Berkeley, Beverly Hills, and Culver City) and the 9th is Denver in Colorado. New York State banned declawing a little while ago. Large parts of Canada have banned declawing. 

Anti-declawing poster by Ruth aka Kattaddorra.

The first part of the news bulletin is on a different topic to declawing cat but the section on declawing is useful. They mention the pain it causes. It is one of the most painful veterinary operations. It is 10 amputations as you might know by now and there is no medical or other benefit for the cat. In fact the operation is very detrimental to the health and welfare of the domestic cat or kitten. Yes they put young kittens through it. Can you imagine the cruelty of it? A kitten looking for love and care from their human companion and all they get is hell and piles of pain. Not a good look

Declawing only takes place in North America and the USA is by far the biggest perpetrator. I think America is a great country but declawing is a horrible blind spot. It is a nasty stain on the character of the country. It tells us that millions of Americans simply do not have a good relationship with their cat companion. They don't have true empathy and sympathy for their cat. They are insensitive to their cat's wellbeing and welfare. 

I can say those things with confidence because no one with a grain of sensitivity towards their cat's welfare would put them through the brutal declawing operation for what they believe is their exclusive benefit. But it is a fallacy that cat owners benefit. They think they do because they can't be scratched. But declawed cats compensate by biting more. And their cat may be in pain for a long time or indefinitely. This may change their character for the worse. They may avoid the litter tray and urinate on the carpet. See what I mean?

For outsiders it looks completely bonkers. It looks like a crime to Europeans if they thought about it and it is a crime by the way. If a vet did it in the UK, they'd end up in prison! But a lot of Europeans hardly know about it. It would never occur to them. It is alien to them. So alien they don't think of it.

Yet for millions of Americans it is one of the first things they think of when they adopt a poor kitten. And the vet does it on request even though in doing so he is in complete breach of his oath to do no harm.

I just can't get my head around it. My message to people who want to declaw their cat: you do realise that cats walk on their toes and the declaw operation removes the end of each toe of the forepaws. Think about it: how would you like it if someone cut off the tops of each of your toes? You'd struggle to walk and humans are not digitigrades.