Massachusetts Residents: Help us End Cat Declawing

Massachusetts Residents: Support a Bill to Ban Declawing

This action is ONLY for residents of Massachusetts

Massachusetts has the opportunity to become the second state in the nation to ban declawing! The Massachusetts Joint Committee on Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure is considering SB 222, a bill that would prohibit the declawing of cats throughout the commonwealth. Please ask your state senator and representative to support this bill and 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 has 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.

Ask your state senator and representative to support SB 222 to protect c

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

As a resident of Massachusetts, I am writing to urge you to protect the health and wellbeing of cats throughout our state by voting in favor of SB 222. If enacted into law, SB 222 would prohibit declawing, a painful procedure that involves the surgical amputation of the last joints of an animal's toes, in a manner that is virtually always nontherapeutic.

Cats rely on their paws, including their claws, for their everyday behavioral and grooming needs. Their claws help them to protect and defend themselves, and scratching removes dead nail sheaths and stretches and strengthens their muscles. Declawing cats to address unwanted scratching behavior hinders these natural behaviors, and can cause trauma, chronic pain, and lifelong damage.

Side effects from declawing can include hemorrhaging, paw pad lacerations, swelling, radial nerve damage, lameness, infections, and chronic pain. Cats who suffer from these side effects 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.

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

These facts are why myriad communities and veterinary practices worldwide consider declawing to be cruel and have implemented laws and policies to ban the procedure. New York state, 11 major U.S. cities, nearly all Canadian provinces, and at least 42 countries have passed official legislation to outlaw declawing cats and other animals. Several veterinary associations and hospital groups have also taken action against declawing, setting a wide-reaching example.

I want Massachusetts to exhibit the same moral fiber and step up as the next leader in the humane treatment of cats and all animals. I ask you to support SB 222 to prohibit declaw surgery and keep cats' claws on their paws.

Kind regards,
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