Many of us adopt our cats. And when we do, sadly, some of them come without their claws. Declawing your cat is something that some cat owners feel is necessary. Well, the truth is, it’s not. And thankfully, lawmakers in Michigan feel the same way.
So far, the bill already has 21 cosponsors. And I’m personally thankful for each and every one of them who thinks declawing your cat is not okay.
Should the bill be made into law, violators will face a $1,000 civil fine.
Declawing your cat is illegal in the state of New York thanks to a bill which passed last July. (You can read about it here on ColeandMarmalade.com.)
House Bill No. 5508 aims to “prohibit certain medical procedures for declawing a cat, and to prescribe civil sanctions.”
The bill states that: “An individual shall not perform by any means an onychectomy, a partial or complete phalangectomy, or a tendonectomy procedure, or any other surgical procedure that prevents normal functioning of the claws, on a cat in this state, unless the procedure is necessary for a therapeutic purpose.”
The bill is allowing for one exception to the rule, saying that the declawing of a cat is strictly allowed when considered for “therapeutic purposes.” It defines such purposes as:
“The necessity to address a physical medical condition of a cat, including, but not limited to an existing or recurring illness, infection, disease, injury, or abnormal condition in the claw of a cat that compromises the cat’s health.”
Believe it or not, roughly 25% of house cats across America are still having this procedure done.
Onychectomy, which is commonly referred to as declawing, is an operation which involves amputation. This isn’t just like a cat is getting a killer manicure. This is a surgery that can affect them for the rest of their lives. Declawing is actually an amputation of the last joint of your cat’s “toes“. It should not happen and it’s about time states are making it illegal.
Nate Shannon (D – Sterling Heights) is leading the bill, and we sincerely hope it passes. Shannon told WILX 10 News:
“This was a terrible procedure to put these cats through. Many people don’t realize what we are doing when we declaw a cat it’s not just removing a nail were actually cutting up a portion of their paws.”
Do you think that more states should ban declawing your cat? Share with us in the comments section.
If you’d like to read House Bill No. 5508 in its entirety, you can do so by clicking here.
My sister adopted a cat who was always getting her claws caught on everything and they would get stuck. The vet explained that the poor cat had a tendonectomy and was unable to retract her claws. So she could not free her claws. They had to keep on eye on her so she didn’t get left stuck to something, or hurt herself trying to free herself.
I am glad to hear the Michigan bill also includes this cruel practice.
Declawing is a barbaric practice. Simply clip the claws. This should only be done in 100% indoor cats. Ban the practice