Original Article: https://blog.theanimalrescuesite.greatergood.com/madison-bans-cat-declawing/
Madison, the capital city of Wisconsin, just announced an immediate ban on cat declawing.
They join a dozen other cities in the U.S., including the state of New York, and over 42 countries worldwide who have banned the cruel procedure.
On the 7th of December, Madison’s City Council unanimously voted to pass the ordinance that “prohibit removing or disabling a cat’s claws by performing a declawing procedure.”
The ruling was a big win for cats in Madison. “Today, every cat in Madison lands on its feet as we set an example for the rest of the state and join the numerous cities throughout the country that have already banned this archaic practice,” Madison Alder Lindsay Lemmer told WMTV.
Alley Cat Allies, a nonprofit organization focused on protecting and improving cats’ lives, explains how the “routine” declawing procedure is harmful to felines.
“Declawing is the surgical amputation of the last joints of a cat’s toes, similar to cutting a person’s finger off at the last knuckle—closest to the fingertip. It can mean as many as 20 amputations for a cat. When the bones are cut, tendons, nerves, and ligaments in each paw are also severed, causing horrible pain. It is an elective surgery that causes permanent damage and is traumatic and stressful to cats.”
Simply put, the procedure is cruel and inhumane.
The humane alternatives are scratching posts and regular nail trimmings.
The Paw Project, a nonprofit solely focused on ending cat declawing through education and legislation, was founded by a veterinarian named Jennifer Conrad. She said, “Declawing is known to harm cats and cause behavioral problems, and declawing puts cats’ owners at a greater risk of being bitten. Prohibiting declaw procedures protects cats and humans and improves the human-animal bond.”
Declawing is now banned in Madison, Wisconsin, effective immediately! Last evening, the Common Council of the City of…
Posted by Alley Cat Allies on Wednesday, December 8, 2021
Both nonprofits praised everyone involved in passing the ordinance. Alley Cat Allies wrote, “Another community is now a much better, safer place for cats and kittens.
This victory for cats will hopefully inspire other cities and states to follow suit.
You can help by signing the petition below and supporting legislation to ban declawing in your city or state.
Source: The Animal Rescue Site Blog
