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Is Declawing Cats Illegal In Pa

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Is there a humane way to declaw cats? It is not simply a removal of a catâs claws â it is the amputation of the last joints of their toes. In addition to the cat declawing ban in england and wales from 2018, there have been several countries that have also banned cat declaw including brazil and switzerland. It is illegal to shoot feral cats in pennsylvania.

It is illegal to shoot feral cats in pennsylvania. In nearly all cases, damage from cat claws can at most be avoided with a front paw declaw. This chapter is known as the rabies prevention and control in domestic animals and wildlife act. It is the surgical amputation of the last joints of a catâs toes and is virtually always nontherapeutic, meaning it has no medical benefit. How can i help my cats claws without.

The Truth About Cats And Scratching

Scratching is normal cat behavior. It isn’t done to destroy a favorite chair or to get even. Cats scratch to remove the dead husks from their claws, mark territory, and stretch their muscles.

Cats are usually about 8 weeks old when they begin scratching. That’s the ideal time to train kittens to use a scratching post and allow nail trims. Pet caregivers should not consider declawing a routine prevention for unwanted scratching. Declawing can actually lead to an entirely different set of behavior problems that may be worse than shredding the couch.

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Major Organizations That Are Against Declawing

Thanks to the growing advocacy efforts, more and more people continue to understand the amount of harm that the declawing procedure does to our feline friends.

Some of the major organizations that shun the procedure include:

  • The Center for Disease Control and Prevention
  • The American Association of Feline Practitioners
  • The International Society of Feline Medicine
  • The Humane Society Veterinary Medical Association
  • The World Small Animal Veterinary Association
  • American Veterinary Medical Association
  • Major hospital groups, including BluePearl, Banfield, and VCA

International Bans On Declawing Cats

Can You Declaw A Cat In Pennsylvania

Making the declawing procedure illegal is not just a hot topic in the US. In many countries, the practice of declawing cats for nonmedical reasons has been illegal under their animal cruelty laws.

In 2011, Israel amended the Law Against Cruelty to Animals to include a ban on the practice of declawing cats. Australia, New Zealand and Brazil also have restrictions in place to prevent declawing as well.

A ban is also in place in the United KingdomEngland, Scotland, Wales and Northern Irelandunder the Animal Welfare Act of 2006.

Under the European Convention for the Protection of Pet Animals, the following countries have restricted or banned the declawing of cats:

  • Austria

  • Alberta

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Does Declawing A Cat Affect Its Personality

Numerous studies that have researched a potential correlation between cat declawing and personality changes strongly indicate that none exists. Please remember that it may take your cat a little time to feel comfortable walking on surgically sensitive paws, which could indeed affect his or her personality traits and behaviors during the recovery period. Therefore, it is always important to be nurturing and supportive during the recovery process, in order to help facilitate a speedy recovery.

Some Negative Effects Of Declawing

Medical drawbacks to declawing include pain in the paw, infection, tissue necrosis , lameness, and back pain. Removing claws changes the way a cat’s foot meets the ground and can cause pain similar to wearing an uncomfortable pair of shoes. There can also be a regrowth of improperly removed claws, nerve damage, and bone spurs.

For several days after surgery, shredded newspaper is typically used in the litter box to prevent litter from irritating declawed feet. This unfamiliar litter substitute, accompanied by pain when scratching in the box, may lead cats to stop using the litter box. Some cats may become biters because they no longer have their claws for defense.

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Is There Such A Thing As Painless Declawing For Cats

Feline onychectomy involves amputating both the claw and the bone its attached to. Any time you cut into tissue, it causes pain whether you use a scalpel blade, a Resco nail trimmer or a surgical laser.

There are many things that can decrease the amount of pain a cat feels during and right after declawing surgery but there is no way to make it painless. And many cats have a low level of chronic foot pain for years that goes unnoticed by their vet and their owners.

When Should Declawing Be Legal

Cat declawing ban passes New York Legislature

Even in cities that have banned aesthetic onychectomy, it is still legal to surgically remove one or more of a cats claws for a legitimate medical purpose.

Medical reasons to surgically remove the third phalanx and claw of a cat include:

  • Chronic bacterial or fungal infection
  • Autoimmune disease
  • Cancer
  • Severe injury

Claw removal is done in such cases to prevent the progression of disease and chronic pain. Medically necessary onychectomy is usually limited to one or a few toes.

Some people argue that its acceptable to declaw a cat who lives with an immunocompromised human to prevent the person from being scratched. But its interesting to note that organizations like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention do not mention declawing cats as a necessity for people with cancer, hemophilia, or immune-mediated diseases.

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Where Is The Line

Edit: forgot to mention spay and neuter as other surgical mods that we are okay with. These procedures may hurt the animal long term as well.

Since this is change my view and all the top comments are against declawing, let me play Devils advocate .

Cats, like dogs, are a wild animal domesticated and breed by humans. We kill and eat and skin other domesticated animals. We brand and surgically modify them as well. Besides the emotional attachment we have to our pets, why do we treat them differently than pigs, or cows or rabbits? Animals are used by humans in all kinds of inhumane ways.

If you dont like declawing because its cruel, dont eat meat, or wear leather, or drive cars declawing is a way humans domesticate animals and modify them to their needs.

Is the at cruel? Is keeping a cat in a small apartment cruel? They arent free, is tagging them with a chip cruel? Ect ect. . So where do we draw the line?

I have to say, this seems like a no-brainer.

What about you? Are you passionate about changing this?

Tell us why or why not in the comments!

Pittsburgh City Councilman Bobby Wilson Introduces Legislation To Protect Cats From Being Declawed

PITTSBURGH, PA Pittsburgh City Councilman Bobby Wilson introduced legislation this week to protect cats from being declawed in the City of Pittsburgh. Alternatives to cat declawing include capping a cat’s nails with nail caps, regularly trimming cats nails, and providing ample appropriate scratching surfaces to cats.

The City of Pittsburgh should set an example as a humane city, both in southwest Pennsylvania and across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, said Councilman Wilson. How we treat animals speaks to our deepest values. Declawing a cat does not just mean removing its nails. Instead, it means amputating the last bone on each of the cats toes. If this happened to a human, it would be like cutting off each finger and toe at the last knuckle. This is a cruel and inhumane procedure that will cause our cats a lifetime of pain and discomfort. We can do bettermy bill puts the City of Pittsburgh on a path to treating our cats humanely.

If enacted, this legislation would make the City of Pittsburgh the first government in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to ban the declaw of cats. Major American cities, including Austin, Berkeley, Beverly Hills, Burbank, Culver City, Denver, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Santa Monica, and West Hollywood, the County of St. Louis, and the State of New York already prohibit the non-therapeutic declaw of cats.

For press inquiries, please contact Councilman Wilsons Legislative Aide, Mohammed Burny, at 215-0528 or .

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The law explicitly prohibits declawing for cosmetic or aesthetic reasons or reasons of convenience in keeping or handling the cat, which led the New York State Veterinary Medical Society to oppose it, saying declawing should be legal for healthy cats, if only as a last resort.

However well-intentioned the law is, the group said, it will only mean that more owners will simply abandon their cats to the streets not just owners fed up with scratched ankles and sofas, but also owners with weakened immune system, diabetes or hemophilia, which can put them at greater risk of infection from cat scratches.

The decision to declaw a cat is a medical decision that should be made by the owners in consultation with a trained, licensed and state-supervised veterinarian operating within the appropriate standards of practice, the society said.

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Pittsburgh City Council Passes Cat Declawing Ban

Can You Declaw A Cat In Pennsylvania

PITTSBURGH – Pittsburgh City Council passed legislation that would ban declawing cats on Tuesday.

The legislation passed unanimously without discussion. Mayor Bill Peduto’s office hasn’t said if he intends on signing the law.

Veterinarians who perform the surgery used to declaw cats would face a $500 fine.

The legislation was introduced by City Councilman Bobby Wilson, who called the procedure “cruel and inhumane.”

“The City of Pittsburgh should set an example as a humane city, both in southwest Pennsylvania and across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania,” said Wilson in a news release. “How we treat animals speaks to our deepest values. Declawing a cat does not just mean removing its nails. If this happened to a human, it would be like cutting off each finger and toe at the last knuckle.”

Wilson says that if enacted, the legislation would make Pittsburgh the first government in the state to ban declawing.

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Why Is There A Push To Make Declawing Illegal

Research has shown that declawing cats can lead to an increase in behavioral problems as well as cause short-term and long-term pain for cats. In terms of cat behavior, scratching is a normal, healthy behavior for cats.

Many people do not understand that declawing is an amputation of the last bone of each of a cats toescutting off each bone at the knuckle. Using the human body as an example, declawing is analogous to cutting off the last bone in each of your toes, and then walking on them for the rest of your life. It is worth noting that, in humans, amputations are only done for medical reasons or to save a person’s life.

This has led many cat owners and veterinarians that might have previously seen declawing as a viable option to reconsider their position on the practice.

Are There Side Effects From Declawing Cats

Sometimes.

Be sure to discuss all the potential side effects with a veterinarian upfront!

Some cats that are big clawers can turn into biters.

Theres a risk of neuropathy numbness in your cats paws. You may notice your cat limping.

And in older cats which we dont recommend declawing there is greater chance of infection and the need for ongoing pain medications.

Talk to our vets about cat declawing

If you live in or around Castle Rock, Colorado, we welcome your call. Please call us at 303-688-3757 or:

Cherished Companions Animal Clinic is a veterinary clinic in Castle Rock, Colorado. Specializing in the care of cats and dogs, our goal is to help you and your pet feel more comfortable, keeping your stress to a minimum.

This article is intended to provide general guidance about declawing a cat. If you have specific questions or concerns, please contact your local veterinarian.

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States Where Declawing Is Illegal

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For a long time, cat declawing has been considered a practical way of deterring destructive scratching by our furry friends.

However, times have changed, and the movement to make cat declawing illegal has grown exponentially over the past few years.

This trend has resulted in increased anti-declawing legislation across different levels of government.

Cat declaw surgery is also known asonychectomy. In this surgical procedure, a qualified specialist amputates the bones where cat claws grow from.

Although its referred to as declaw, this procedure goes beyond simply removing nails.

The digits last bone has to be amputated to prevent the claws from growing back.

The pet may spend about two days in the facility with bandaged toes.

Once they feel that the cat is beginning to recover sufficiently, theyll remove the bandages then allow you to leave with your feline.

Though its a safe process, the procedure has attracted a lot of controversies.

Because More People Might Want Them

New York Legislature passes ban on cat declawing

You didnt include in your OP how many cats are put down.

Many people have an aversion to cats because cats are naturally self sufficient and can lash out when handled improperly.

That said, it may increase the amount of people who want them without the threat of physical harm or harm to property by this animal.

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Understanding The Procedure For Declawing Cats

As veterinary care providers we are here to help provide you with accurate and unbiased information about declawing cats in order for you to make an informed, educated decision on behalf of your furry feline friend.

  • Blade Declawing: An instrument with a sliding blade cuts a straight line through the joint between the entire claw growth and the rest of the cat’s paw. This is the most common method of declawing kittens or adult cats, and is the most invasive.

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Is Declawing Cats Illegal

Declawing a cat used to be considered an effective way to deter destructive scratching in cats. However, times are changing, and a movement to ban the declawing of cats has emerged.

This movement to make the practice of declawing cats illegal has grown in recent years, and the result has been an increase in anti-declawing legislation in many levels of government.

My Advice: Should I Declaw My Cat

Can You Declaw A Cat In Pa

I have not performed medically unnecessary declawing of a cat in many years and dont plan to ever do it again. While I hope none of my clients ever gets their cat declawed, the reality is that as long as its legal some people will still have it done to their cats. Heres what I tell my clients:

  • Dont do it! Its a major surgery for human convenience that causes short-term pain and possibly long-term pain and behavior problems.
  • Try every tip available to redirect problem scratching behavior. See my list above and also check out this resource from American Association of Feline Practitioners: Living with a Clawed Cat.

I dont recommend declawing your cat, but I know some people will still do it. My advice: dont just choose the first vet clinic that will agree to declaw your cat. Ask a lot of questions!

A careful surgeon and good pain control make a big difference in a cats outcome after surgery. Researchers have found that cats who were declawed using a laser rather than a scalpel blade or Resco nail trimmers had less pain in the immediate period after surgery.

Find a veterinarian who takes the procedure seriously, has good experience with doing it and is able to outline a very specific pain management plan. And make sure that vet is accessible for rechecks in case your kitty has any problems after the surgery.

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