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Cat Declaw Ban in California

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The California Supreme Court ruled this week that cities in the sunshine state can ban the declawing of cats.

The California Veterinary Medical Association challenged a 2003 ordinance created by the City of West Hollywood that bans declawing. It was the only law of its kind in California, but now it's open for debate statewide.

According to declaw.org, the process of declawing is more like amputation – And the ordeal is extremely painful because it requires removal of the claw, part of the bone and tendons.

The West Hollywood ordinance being challenged says, “mere convenience to the pet's guardian does not justify the unnecessary pain, anguish and permanent disability caused to the animal.”

Coming to Hollywood's defense was the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, which filed papers to support the ban. Apparently, San Fran's shelters won't adopt out a cat if they know its guardian plans to declaw.

The movement appears to be gaining traction in the west. But we want to know what you think. Should declawing be banned where you live?

Post your opinions and comments under this story. Want to share your pet's story? Submit video at the ZootooTV tab.

Or you can email us at news@zootoo.com or call 877-777-4204.



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332 comments found.
 
Michelle C.
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YES more states should BAN declawing!
 
Lindsey
Lindsey (mamasky)
1 year ago
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Good for California! More states should take this stance. Declawing is inhumane and not necessary. If you are that worried about cats scratching on things, you shouldn't get a cat. Cats scratch on things. Kind of like people buying a beagle that live in an apartment and then want to buy chock collars when the beagle doesn't stop barking.
 
dana R.
dana R. (DanaJ824)
1 year ago
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I've been working in the vet field for many years and would totally disagree with this.
Cats generally fully recover within a week. Most of the time they are running around the next day.
If it comes down to declawing or dumping their pet at a shelter/farm, or euthanizing. I see the no brainer choice.
People who are so opposed to declawing have NO clue about the procedure and have never seen it done or have had a cat that was done.
I do not agree with declawing on all 4 paws. Our hospital refuses to do so, even if requested. It should only be fronts. Unless there is a medical issue that would warrant it. That only accounts for maybe 1% or less of cases.
We should focus on more important issues... Geez.
 
beaglemutz
beaglemutz
1 year ago
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All of my cats have been declawed and I have never seen a negative consequence. I don't agree.
 
Koronin
Koronin
1 year ago
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I hate declawing cats for most any reason. I am happy this see that California is taking the lead in this.
 
Margene  W.
Margene W. (mwhitt)
1 year ago
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Good to ban-it is cruel and unusual punishment.Have you ever seen it done or have the procedure explained to you?
 
LadySephiroth
LadySephiroth
1 year ago
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Yeah, I've read about that... it's terrible. California is making a good move here.
 
Karen S.
Karen S. (ksnider)
1 year ago
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We adopted our cat - or should I say he adopted us - when he found our home as a stray. He was obviously an outdoor cat but we did have him declawed (front) and he has had not problems defending himself or unfortunately bringing in mice and birds.
 
dana R.
dana R. (DanaJ824)
1 year ago
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If you declawed him and still had intentions of him going outside, I think that is cruel and selfish.
 
kiersten b.
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what if your "indoor" cat happens to sneak out. then a dog comes to attack them and they can't climb a tree or defend themselves thus resulting in a dead cat.
 
Dee
Dee (nycatlover)
1 year ago
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Some special housing requires cats to be declawed. Having the cat euthanized because it's owner cant keep it is much crueler in my mind.
 
Lisa
Lisa (Spaceylisa)
1 year ago
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I think this law is wrong. All it is going do is have less people own cats. We are responsible owners. We take good care of our cats. Spay and nuter them. I think it is a huge mistake.
 
laaazybum
laaazybum
1 year ago
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Yes cats can live being declawed just like people can live having there fingers amputated...does that make it right? Would you ask the doctor to cut off the ends of your childrens fingers when it is born just to make your life easier? Then why would you do that to a cat?
 
smarx
smarx
1 year ago
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I DO think declawing a cat is wrong. They can be taught to scratch the appropriate cat posts. Regular timming the nails helps also.
 
Michele
Michele (MicheleZ)
1 year ago
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I really have ambivalent feelings about declawing cats. I have read a lot about the pros and cons, and have discussed it with my vet, and am leaning toward the idea that it is okay provided the owner does, indeed, intend to provide the cat with a loving, VERY secure home for life. On the other hand, if the owner wants a cat declawed to prevent injury to a baby/child--forget it (declawed cats are more likely to bite when they feel threatened).

I have adopted 6 adult declawed cats from various shelters. I can only guess why their owners gave them up--but they probably did not intend to provide a loving, secure home FOREVER; they should not have declawed their cats.
 
shelia s.
shelia s. (forrest)
1 year ago
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I've got 2 cats and thry are both declawed. After their surgery, both of them seemed fine and neither had any complications. I don't see where it's inhumane, especially if they are inside cats.
 
vellabelle
vellabelle
1 year ago
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looks painful ! someone suggested SoftPaws. Others say they work great. They come in many different colors, so I think they may be a really good alternative. Just think, designer nails on the cat !
 
dana R.
dana R. (DanaJ824)
1 year ago
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Horrible product that I've seen cause more problems than you would imagine. In one case we had a cat with them, not taken proper care, and we actually had to declaw the cat due to this product. It was a medical issue.
 
vellabelle
vellabelle
1 year ago
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looks painful
 
nickel8
nickel8
1 year ago
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This is excellent! Declawing is disgusting...if you want to adopt a cat, then the claws is part of it. You don't have a baby & remove their voicebox because you don't want to hear them cry. There are many alternatives. I have 3 cats & my furniture is intact. When Molly began to scratch my couch, I did research & bought Feliway. It worked wonders! Declawing is mutilation, it's not just cutting a nail, it's removing part of their finger!
 
Amanda P.
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Declawing is inhumane!!!! I don't believe it should be done under any circumstances. There are so many alternatives, including soft paws....caps for your cat's claws....please reconsider doing this procedure if you are thinking about it....research it online!
 
Nicole
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Personally, I can't say whether I agree or disagree with this. My cat is declawed. I trusted the Vet that did it and she did a good job (his pads were not mutilated in any way) and there was no infection. He was back to his old self within 24 hours after the surgery. I got this done when he was about 4 months old. At the time, my grandmother was around a lot and he keot scratching her and she bleeds horribly bad when scratched or if she even bumps into something, instant bleeding or severe bruising. My grandmother loved my cat very much and she always wanted to be around him. And yes, I did try Soft Paws... he would have them chewed off within a matter of minutes. I went through so many of those. Declawing was a last resort.
 
Muskrat
Muskrat
1 year ago
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Hooray! This humane law flies in the face of CA's recent rejection of Spay/Neuter Laws. To be really kind to cats, haing them sterilized is the first basic step. Let's hope CA revisits that issue soon. P.S. - reserch shows that de-clawed cats, deprived of a natural defense, are prone to become bitey far mot=re than cats who have their claws intact.
 
tammyg
tammyg
1 year ago
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Interesting. Declawing is cruel and robs the cat of ability to defend itself. Wonder what impact, if any, this will have on adoption rate at shelters? I am told that many people are lookiing for declawed cats and that they are often the quickest to be adopted. Sad..but if true, I would hate to see a decrease in adoption. Better top have a declawed cat than to have one euthanized. There is no easy answer here.
 
Carol1
Carol1
1 year ago
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I have to say that the owner should decide. Some older people can not have a cat in elderly housing unless they are declawed. I would not want too tell them they can not have the only thing that brings them happeness.
 
Frosty6121
Frosty6121
1 year ago
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It's about time. There is no longer a need for declawing.
 
Linda C.
Linda C. (boogityboo)
2 years ago
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While it can be hard on cats, if it means they have a home, it's well worth it.
 
mariabird7
mariabird7
2 years ago
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I don't like declaws, they are unnecessary pain for the cat. However, if having a declaw done is what is required to keep a cat inside or to get a cat adopted, it is the lesser of two evils.
 
Meghan
Meghan (mcatlover)
2 years ago
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I never get my cats declawed.
 
Lisa
Lisa (Spaceylisa)
2 years ago
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no. This would mean alot less cats would get homes. I know its hard on them. I have had my cats declaed. I love her and she had a good home. If it wasn't for declawing I know of alot of cats that would not have homes.
 
Christine
Christine (cvaiana)
2 years ago
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I think it is selfish to declaw a cat. If scratching is an issue, there are so many ways to manage it. Declawing shouldnt even be an option. Way to go California!
 
kendramarke
kendramarke
2 years ago
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I'm sorry my vet didn't tell me about "Soft Paws" before I had my cat's claws removed or I would've used them. I saw them at Petsmart after he's already had the surgery. He was a half-ferral kitten we rescued from certain death and he attacked people,including myself to the point of stitches. We bought a brand new home with all new leather furniture and thought we had no choice. He's now a happy and healthy 18 lb. solid snow white indoor cat.If I had to do it all over again, he'd keep his claws, poor thing.
 
Mandy
Mandy
2 years ago
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I think that Declawing Cats is extemely inhumane and should be concidered animal abuse....Most declawed cats that are received in shelters are turned in because of behavior issues such as biting and litter box issues. This makes them very difficult to rehome so in many cases have to be euthanized...all this to save your furniture.There are EASY alternatives to declawing a cat..Check out soft paws..
Please research just exactly what this surgery involves......They do not just remove the cats "toenails"! People say that they will never let their cats out....What if they escape...what if a natural disaster hits...what if you have to rehome your pet....They cannot protect themselves and it is extremely painful!
 
ejzane
ejzane
2 years ago
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It is interesting to me that we would never consider removing a dogs last digit to avoid him scratching the linoleum or the hardwood floors, or tearing a hole in the carpet (which in fact happened to my in-laws). In fact who has ever heard of declawing a dog? We declaw the cat because unlike the dog it doesn't come on command, it does as it pleases, and we really can't control it. I wonder if my in-laws tried to get a vet to declaw their dog what would happen? I suspect this would be considered ridiculous and perhaps cruel. Perhaps the vet would say "can't you just trim the nails?" and might think "it's not responsible to not trim your dogs nails" Perhaps cat owners should simply be responsible and trim the nails. It takes about 1 min a cat.
 
dana R.
dana R. (DanaJ824)
1 year ago
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We had a dog come into our hospital who had a very severe medical condition that made his nail fall of and bleed uncontrollably. After much time, the only options were declawing or euthanizing. The dog came out of the surgery fine and is living a great happy life now.
It's only ever done in the case of a medical emergency but it is possible.
 
threecats
threecats
2 years ago
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I agree with the ban. As said before, many European countries ban cat declawing.
 
If the cat is going to be an indoor cat I don't think it is wrong to declaw them.
 
Aaron
Aaron
2 years ago
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Declawing is very controversial because there are veterinarians performing the surgery---if you have an opportunity to assist in a declaw surgery and they use the old method (which many still do) it's almosr barbaric--they cut the knuckles virtually off. The newer methods are more humane but....
 
Anonymous
Anonymous
2 years ago
This comment has been removed.
 
beebe99
beebe99
2 years ago
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That's one gross picture!!
 
Michelle H.
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I think declawing is humane. I have seven cats and would not consider declawing. There are alternatives.
 
disotellx2
disotellx2
2 years ago
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This isn't something I would want done to me!
 
chubbyella
chubbyella
2 years ago
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I think that there should be a ban on declawing here. People should not ba able to declaw cats because for on think out door cats need their claws to protect them self from predators. If their do not have their claws they could get killed. Indoor cats should not be declawed just for their owners convenence. CAts should not be put thought a painful and risky operation just so they do not hurt the furniture.
 
dana R.
dana R. (DanaJ824)
1 year ago
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Well you know spaying and neutering boils down to convenience too.
Who wants a smelly marking intact male cat, or a female cat constantly in heat or getting knocked up??? You going to say that's inhumane too?!
 
jpendley
jpendley
2 years ago
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I am torn on this one - I see both sides...
 
Gina
Gina (mackie13624)
2 years ago
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I have owned 8 cats and all but 1 has had their front feet declawed. I never saw any visible signs of discomfort after the procedure and they do not act like they "miss" their toe nails. They still think they are scratching my furniture but they are not tearing it to shreads. My fear with this new law is that more cats are going to end up in shelters because of the damage to furniture, property (drapes ect) and accidental scratches. In the end what is better, being declawed, being euthanized or living your life in a shelter? I'd rip my nails off to have a good home.
 
Morgan
Morgan (kcovey)
2 years ago
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If a cat is permitted out of the house (which really, it should not for safety reasons) then declawing them would be detrimental. If they are primarily indoor pets then declawing should be at the descretion of the owner
 
acart1170
acart1170
2 years ago
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Declawing is cruel. And many people use it as a first resort rathar than the last resort it should be.
 
blinddog
blinddog
2 years ago
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A law like this would create more problems than it solved. So if a shelter takes in a de-clawed cat, is the potential adopter considered a criminal even though the declawing was done previously?
 
rwobith
rwobith
2 years ago
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I think that there are better options that declawing like nail triming and caps the public just needs to be informed.
 
bthibodeaux
bthibodeaux
2 years ago
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Declawing is inhumane. No one should ever declaw their cat. If you choose a cat as a pet then know that stratching is part of their nature. You can train a cat not to stratch your furniture. There are also sprays to spray on your furniture to keep them away. Even "Soft Claws" will help. Surgery should never be an option unless it's a medical necessity.
 
Ginaphur
Ginaphur
2 years ago
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I think declaw.org is a great site. I've found that referring someone to that site does wonders when they are considering this inhumane surgery. It's a great resource and the pictures there are definitely worth a thousand words.
 
kkgilman
kkgilman
2 years ago
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I do own a cat that was de-clawed before i got him. He has adapted to his disability. I think declawing is wrong. You get a cat knowing they like to scratch.
 
foxfaerie
foxfaerie
2 years ago
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I agree wholeheartedly with the ban- two of my cats are declawed, and I nearly cry every time I see them try to stretch their paws because of what I had done to them. Back then, I didn't know they amputated the claw.
 
foxfaerie
foxfaerie
2 years ago
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I agree wholeheartedly with the ban- two of my cats are declawed, and I nearly cry every time I see them try to stretch their paws because of what I had done to them. Back then, I didn't know they amputated the claw.
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