STOP DECLAWING
Sen. Mark Montigny (D-New Bedford) is sponsoring Bill SD.2180 which would prohibit declawing in Massachusetts (except in rare medical crises).
With passage of Sen. Montigny’s bill, Massachusetts would join California and Rhode Island in enacting legislation to protect cats from declawing. Violators would be subject to fines ranging from $1,000 to $2,500, as well as the possibility of being required to complete a course in the humane treatment of animals and barred from owning of keeping a cat for a court-ordered period of time. Veterinarians who violate the proposed law would be subject to suspension or revocation of their licenses to practice.
SIGN THE PETITION
Claws for Concern
Claws are to cats, as wings are to birds. And, yet, some pet owners favor the rug (and wildly inaccurate information) to the holistic health of their pet.
Did you know?
Declawing a cat involves either amputating the last bone of each toe with a scalpel, guillotine clipper, or laser surgery (akin to removing a human finger at the last knuckle), or severing tendons that control claws in each toe—sometimes leading to bleeding, lameness, and infection. (Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association)
Declawing has lasting adverse effects ranging from a cat being more likely to bite and less likely to use its litter box, to paw pain, infection, lameness, and back pain resulting from changes in the way a cat’s foot hits the ground when walking.
Infectious disease specialists do not recommend declawing for owners with immunodeficiencies or bleeding disorders. (Humane Society of the United States)
Truthfully Testify
We’ll keep our website updated on the hearing and how to testify. If you’re thinking of testifying, too, here are some helpful basics on the benefits of clawing:
Cat claws are made of keratin, a protein also found in human nails
Most cats have four claws on each hind paw and five on the front, the fifth acting like a thumb to help when climbing or holding prey — or toys! Scientists believe retractable claws play a role in the agility and balance that are hallmarks of feline mobility.
A specialized system of tendons and muscle enables cats to extend and retract their claws.
Cats claw to mark territory, leaving both a physical sign of their presence and their scent deposited through glands in their feet.
Cats claw to shed the outer layer of the claws, which periodically become frayed, leaving them sharp and smooth.
Cats claw to help stretch and exercise the muscles in their paws.
A Happy, Healthy Home
Here are some easy to ways to keep your feline — and your furniture — healthy:
Trim claws regularly
Provide scratching posts and boards (ideally, introduced in kittenhood)
Use sprays or special tape on furniture and rugs
When Ted, a chunky brown tabby adopted through Kitty Connection, arises shortly after dawn, his morning ritual begins: Jumping down from his favorite dining room chair, he extends his front legs and stretches, digging his claws into his rug. Sufficiently awake, he ascends a flight of stairs, enters the bedroom, and stops to rake his paws across a scratching post.
He purrs in contentment. A happy, healthy day ahead.
Lauren Capone-Condon, KC Volunteer