Missouri Residents: Stop a Bill That Could Harm Cats

This action is ONLY for residents of Missouri

UPDATE - April 28, 2023

This dangerous bill for cats is now on the verge of becoming law, so now more than ever we need Missouri residents to take powerful action to oppose it. SB 115 would end the lifesaving bans on declawing in the city of St. Louis and St. Louis County while preventing other cities and counties from passing their own bans. Although we have made our opposition strongly known, the bill is now headed for a vote in the full Missouri House of Representatives and has already passed the Senate. It is just ONE VOTE away from going to the governor’s desk, where it could become state law.

Please call your legislators now and ask them not to vote NO on SB 115 as it is currently written, and to support any amendments that would protect the existing declawing bans for cats in St. Louis and St. Louis County.

UPDATE - April 17, 2023

The Missouri Senate has passed this bill and it is now in the Missouri House of Representatives. We need to act urgently to stop this dangerous measure from becoming law. Please contact your Missouri state representative now and ask them to vote NO on this bill that would lead to more cats being subjected to cruel declawing, the effects of which are a major reason cats are relinquished to shelters and killed.

Original Message

Missouri lawmakers are considering a new bill, SB 115, that would prohibit local governments from outlawing cat declawing in their cities and counties. St. Louis and St. Louis County have already enacted declawing bans, and those lifesaving laws—and any future local declawing ban in Missouri—would be prohibited by this bill.

Please ask your Missouri state senator to vote NO and maintain local governments’ ability to ban the cruel, traumatic practice of cat declawing. Tell them to Keep Cats’ Claws on Their Paws!

Declaw surgery is not a nail trim, but a surgical amputation of the last joints of a cat’s toes. Declawing is almost always nontherapeutic, meaning it brings no medical benefit to the cat. Without their claws, cats can’t perform many of their instinctive behaviors, can feel unsafe without their natural protection, and can experience issues with walking and balancing. The pain and discomfort caused by declaw surgery can lead to permanent physical and mental harm.

Every humane community must ban the declawing of cats. No bill should prevent that critical, lifesaving progress.

Ask your state senator to vote NO on SB 115.

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Dear {contact_data~positionHeld} {contact_data~firstName} {contact_data~lastName}

As a resident of Missouri, I strongly urge you to vote NO on SB 115, a bill that will threaten the lives of cats in our state by causing more of them to be relinquished to shelters where they will be killed, usually at taxpayer expense.

SB 115 would overturn bans on cat declawing in St. Louis and St. Louis County and prohibit other local governments in the state from passing their own prohibitions on cat declawing. Please vote NO on SB 115 as it is currently written, and vote YES on any amendment that would maintain the declawing bans already in place in St. Louis and St. Louis County.
It is critical for you to understand how declawing works before voting on this bill.

Declawing is a painful procedure that involves the surgical amputation of the last joints of a cat's toes. It would be similar to placing the last knuckle of a human finger in a cigar cutter. Cats rely on their paws, including their claws, for their everyday behavioral and grooming needs. Their claws help them to protect and defend themselves. Declawing cats to address unwanted scratching behavior hinders these natural behaviors and can cause trauma, chronic pain, and lifelong damage.

As a result, cats who suffer from declawing may develop behavioral issues such as aggression, biting, and urinating outside the litter box. These behaviors, not scratching, are the most common reasons cited for relinquishing cats to shelters. The procedure is virtually always nontherapeutic, with no benefit to the cat. Side effects from declawing can include hemorrhaging, paw pad lacerations, swelling, radial nerve damage, lameness, infections, and chronic pain.

These facts are why many communities and veterinary practices worldwide consider declawing to be cruel and have implemented laws and policies to ban the procedure. Several veterinary associations and hospital groups like Banfield, VCA, and BluePearl have taken action against declawing, setting a wide-reaching example. St. Louis and St. Louis County are at the forefront of this movement, having both outlawed the procedure within the last four years. New York state, Maryland, 15 other major U.S. cities, nearly all Canadian provinces, and at least 42 countries have passed official legislation to prohibit declawing cats and other animals.

Additionally, humane alternatives to declaw surgery are widely available, including scratching posts, spray deterrents, and nail caps. There is no need for surgery carried out for entirely nontherapeutic reasons that can cause permanent physical and mental harm to cats

I want Missouri to exhibit the same moral fiber and acknowledgement of scientific evidence by maintaining the ability of local governments to pass local laws for the humane treatment of cats and all animals. I ask you to vote NO on SB 115 to save cats from being killed.

Kind regards,
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