HEALTH - Canadian Veterinary Medical Association Opposes Declawing of Cats

The Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA) has updated its policy on declawing cats to clearly oppose the procedure.

The CVMA changed the position statement’s title to Domestic Felid Partial Digital Amputation (Onychectomy or Declawing) to better reflect the nature of the procedure, and explicitly states that it “opposes elective and non-therapeutic Partial Digital Amputation (PDA), commonly known as declawing or onychectomy, of domestic cats.”

Dr. Troy Bourque, CVMA President, said in a release, “Much research has become available since we last examined this position statement and it is evident that felines suffer needlessly when undergoing this surgery as an elective measure. Furthermore, behavioural research has advanced to allow veterinarians in this field to help clients modify unwanted scratching behavior without the completion of an Onychectomy.”

Animal welfare organizations have long held policies condemning declawing for elective or non-therapeutic reasons and have promoted behaviour modification to address scratching issues.

The new CVMA policy recognizes scratching as a normal cat behaviour and nails are used by cats to assist with balance, climbing, and self-defence.

The policy goes on to say, “surgical amputation of the third phalynx of the digit alters the expression of normal behaviours in cats, causes avoidable short-term acute pain, and has the potential to cause chronic pain and negative long-term orthopedic consequences.”

Does this new policy mean the surgery is banned in Canada?

No. It is up to veterinary regulators in each province to decide whether to ban the procedure.

Some provinces in Canada ban elective and non-therapeutic surgeries such as docking and cropping in dogs, and only time will tell if that happens for declawing.

Declawing is banned in the U.K., Europe, Australia and several California cities, and New Jersey is considering a law that would ban the practice unless a vet deems the operation medically necessary.

For now, Canadian Veterinarians “have the right to refuse to perform non-therapeutic Partial Digital Amputation surgery. If alternatives fail to alleviate undesirable scratching behaviours, veterinarians have the right and responsibility to use professional judgement for a humane and ethical outcome.”

LEGISLATION - New Jersey Bill Will Ban Declawing

A proposed law would make New Jersey the first state to ban declawing of cats.

Assemblyman Troy Singleton has sponsored legislation that would add onychetomy, the medical term for declawing, to the list of criminal animal cruelty offenses.

Veterinarians that perform the surgery and people who seek it out would face a fine of up to $1,000 or six months in jail. Violators would also face a civil penalty of $500 to $2,000.

Declawing done for medical reasons would be exempt from the new law.

Most people have their cats declawed to protect their property from scratching, however, rather than for medical reasons.

Declawing traditionally involves the amputation of the last bone of each toe - something many animal organizations feel is inhumane. If performed on a human being, it would be like cutting off the tip of each finger at the joint.

The American Veterinary Medical Association states, “declawing of domestic cats should be considered only after attempts have been made to prevent the cat from using its claws destructively or when its clawing presents a zoonotic risk for its owner(s).”

The Humane Society of the United States “opposes declawing except for the rare cases when it is necessary for medical purposes, such as the removal of cancerous nail bed tumors.”

The Canadian Veterinary Medical Association is currently conducting a membership consultation about their domestic cat declawing policy.

If New Jersey passes this legislation, it will be following in the footsteps of a variety of countries around the world.

Declawing traditionally hasn’t been as common in places like Britain, where it was outlawed in 2006.

Many European countries prohibit or significantly restrict the practice, as do Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and Turkey.

In the U.S., New York State also has pending legislation to ban the practice, and cities such as San Francisco, Los Angeles, Burbank, Berkeley, Santa Monica and Beverly Hills already have bans in place.