Clawing Their Way to The Top: Cities That Have Banned Declawing Cats

Michigan is on the verge of banning the declawing of cats, except when medically necessary. It would become the third state in the U.S. to completely ban this controversial medical procedure. However, many cities across the country have their own bans in place.

Compared to the rest of the world, declawing is much more widely available and practiced in the U.S. But more cities and states are moving to ensure that declawing is only undertaken with proper medical reasoning.

Declawing is the complete removal of a cat's claws so that they will never grow back. Also known as onychectomy, the procedure is an invasive surgical treatment that involves the removal of the cat's toes up to the first knuckle.

It's not a simple nail removal, as the claws would grow back — instead, it's the equivalent of removing the tips of the fingers in humans. Where successful, it means that the claw is permanently gone and will never grow back.

The first U.S. city to ban declawing was West Hollywood back in 2003. Since then, 7 more California cities have banned the procedure, including Beverly Hills, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Burbank. It's also outlawed in Austin, TX; Denver, CO; St. Louis, MO: Pittsburgh and Allentown, in Pennsylvania; and Madison, WI.

In 2019, New York became the first state to ban declawing cats completely, and Maryland became the second state to do so in 2022. Washington, D.C. is the latest city to ban it in 2023, while Michigan is currently in the process of putting the law into effect.

In Canada, the laws on declawing are decided at the provincial level, and so far, nine of the 10 provinces in the country have outlawed it. These are Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Saskatchewan, and Quebec. Quebec's ban will go into effect in February 2024.

This means that Ontario, home of the largest city in the country (Toronto), is the only province yet to ban declawing.

In the rest of the world, many countries have banned declawing already. Most of Europe has made sure that the procedure is unavailable, including the UK and most of the European Union. Declawing is also illegal in Australia and New Zealand.

Part of the reason why declawing is still available in much of the U.S. is because there is a higher percentage of indoor cats in America. Around the rest of the world, more cats spend time outdoors, as there aren't as many predators, such as coyotes.

Indoor cats tend to be more destructive to furniture, which is one of the reasons homeowners declaw their kitties.

Declawing cats is a serious procedure that many cat owners and veterinarians disagree with. It can significantly impact a cat, including changing their personality — many cats have been known to get depressed or become more aggressive once their claws are removed, and they can take to biting.

Cats have a natural urge to scratch, which doesn't disappear when the claws are removed. However, they cannot satisfy this urge, leading to frustration and emotional problems for the cat.

Declawing a cat can also have medical implications. Some cats have encountered lifelong pain and mobility issues since they can no longer fully stretch their muscles. It can impact a cat's posture and walking ability, so it's more than just painful for the paws themselves.

Short-term but serious medical problems can also occur, including bleeding and pain around the claws and a risk of infection.

Plus, declawing is not always successful. Owners may put a cat through significant stress and potential illness, only for its claws to return later. While it's rare for claws to grow back, it is a possibility.

Those who favor declawing tend to focus on a cat's inability to scratch as the main benefit. Scratching can be frustrating for cat owners, especially in families with children. Some owners don't want to risk their cat causing themselves or their family pain. However, the fact that cats often bite out of frustration once claws are removed can render this argument moot.

More commonly, owners declaw their cats to protect their furniture. Cats can be destructive, and some owners prefer to preserve their homes and put their cats through potential pain and suffering rather than looking into proper alternatives.

There are many reasons why cats have an innate need to scratch. It's part of their regular stretching routine, and it also helps them to express their emotions. Cats also use scratching as a way of venting frustration and also to mark objects with their scent — there are glands within the paws.

Scratching also helps to remove dead parts of the cat's claws.

The best alternative to declawing a cat is providing good-quality scratching furnishings. Cats should be allowed to scratch, and owners should provide an alternative place for a cat to scratch instead of removing the possibility.

Many different scratching surfaces are available, including carpet, sisal rope, cardboard, and more. Owners can experiment with different surfaces and different styles of scratchers, like towers, bowls, ramps, etc., to find one(s) that works well for their cat.

It's also important to look after a cat's nails. Many owners fear clipping their cat's nails but also want to avoid the cost and time of taking their cats to have their nails clipped by a professional. Owners can circumvent their issues by purchasing dedicated safety clippers for cat claws and learning to use them confidently.

Banning declawing procedures in the U.S. is only a recent movement, and the laws are expected to roll out to more states in the coming years. As the U.S. looks to catch up to the declawing laws of the rest of the Western world, more cats should become protected from this invasive and potentially harmful operation.

Owners considering declawing their cats should seriously consider the implications and potential risks and the many options for alternative solutions to the problems they are worried about.

This article was produced by Floppycats and syndicated by Wealth of Geeks.

Jenny is the founder of Floppycats.com, a website dedicated to uniting (Ragdoll) cat lovers worldwide. Since 2008, Jenny’s no bull-crap and honest approach to cat care helps cat owners live more harmoniously with their kitties.