By Los Angeles County Politics (LACP)
If cats were human, they would give one-claw up after Governor Gavin Newsom last week signed Assemblymember Alex Lee’s (D-Alameda County and Santa Clara County) legislation, AB 867, to ban cat declawing in California.
Declawing involves amputating cats’ toe bones or severing the tendons controlling their paws, a surgical procedure that can lead to debilitating health effects. Surgical complications include hemorrhage, infection, pain, and anesthetic complications.
“AB 867 marks a historic milestone for animal welfare by banning cat declawing,” said Lee. “This important legislation shows our commitment to protecting our cat companions. 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.”
Nationally, veterinarians overwhelmingly oppose cat declawing, with the majority supporting a prohibition when it is not medically necessary. California now joins many cities and states in outlawing this practice.
In 2003, West Hollywood passed the nation’s first legislation to ban cat declawing, with seven other California cities following suit. In 2019, New York became the first state in the U.S. to enact a ban on this inhumane practice. Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Massachusetts have also passed bans. Globally, dozens of countries, including Australia, New Zealand, the U.K., and Switzerland, have all banned cat declawing.
AB 867 prohibits the declawing of a cat unless a veterinarian performs the procedure for a medically necessary purpose that benefits the cat’s health.
“Declawing isn’t a manicure – it’s an amputation that needlessly harms cats to spare sofas,” said Jennifer Hauge, Senior Legislative Affairs Manager at Animal Legal Defense Fund. “We are so excited that California now joins a growing number of states and other jurisdictions in affirming that the only time a cat should ever purposely lose part of a toe is when a veterinarian determines it’s medically necessary for the animal’s health, not human convenience.”
Dr. Jennifer Conrad, Founder and Director of The Paw Project, said the cat advocacy organization has been working to end declawing through education and legislation for over 25 years.
“We are particularly grateful to Assemblymember Alex Lee for authoring this bill and to the many national and local organizations who have worked together so hard to make this effort a reality,” said Conrad.
For cat lovers who have seen furniture shredded by feline companions using it as scratching posts, cat advocate experts recommend non-surgical alternatives such as nail trimming, soft claw caps, and behavioral training.
