"Following a 25-year debate over local laws, state bills and legal battles between the state's leading veterinarian organization and animal welfare groups who say declawing is cruel, painful and unnecessary, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill Thursday that prohibits all veterinarians in California from removing the claws of cats unless it is medically necessary."
"After years of pushing to make this a reality, I'm proud to see California create a more compassionate society for our feline friends by moving away from this inhumane practice, said Assemblyman Alex Lee, D-Milpitas, the author of the bill, AB 867, and the owner of two cats."
"They noted that the practice involves not just trimming claws but amputating cats' toes above the third knuckle. They also citied studies showing that it can be painful and lead to behavioral changes like refusal to use litter boxes and increased biting."
California prohibits veterinarians from declawing cats except when medically necessary, effective Jan. 1. The ban follows a 25-year dispute involving local laws, state bills and legal battles between the state's leading veterinary association and animal welfare groups. The veterinary association opposed the ban as governmental overreach; animal welfare groups supported it, calling declawing cruel, painful and unnecessary. Declawing involves amputating toes above the third knuckle and can cause pain and behavioral changes such as litter-box avoidance and increased biting. About 35% of U.S. households own cats, roughly one-in-five cats have been declawed nationally, and California has 7.4 million pet cats. Several countries and some U.S. states already ban the procedure.
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