Declawing a cat is not a manicure. It is an amputation.

Declawing removes the last bone of each affected toe, along with the claw. This is not a simple nail removal. It is an irreversible surgical procedure performed on healthy animals for reasons that are often related to furniture damage or normal scratching behaviour. https://www.aspca.org/about-us/aspca-policy-and-position-statements/position-statement-declawing-cats

 

The consequences can be serious. Veterinary organizations identify risks that include acute pain, bleeding, infection, nerve injury, lameness, chronic pain, and behavioural complications. Not every cat experiences every complication, but these are documented risks of the procedure. https://catvets.com/resource/declawing-declawing-position-statement/

Scratching is normal cat behaviour. It is not a defect that needs to be surgically removed.

Cats use their claws to stretch, exercise, maintain their nails, communicate, climb, and defend themselves. Humane alternatives exist, including scratching posts, regular nail trimming, nail caps, environmental enrichment, and behavioural support. https://www.aaha.org/about-aaha/aaha-position-statements/

This is not a call to deny cats necessary medical treatment. If a cat has a tumour, severe injury, or another medical condition requiring surgery, medically necessary treatment should remain available under appropriate veterinary care.

We are calling for an end to elective, non-therapeutic declawing in North Carolina.

We ask the North Carolina General Assembly to introduce and pass legislation that:

- Prohibits declawing cats for convenience, furniture protection, or other non-medical reasons.

- Preserves exceptions for legitimate medical necessity, as determined by a licensed veterinarian.

- Supports public education about humane alternatives to declawing.

The American Animal Hospital Association strongly opposes elective declawing, and the Feline Veterinary Medical Association also strongly opposes it as an elective procedure. https://www.aaha.org/about-aaha/aaha-position-statements/​

 https://catvets.com/resource/declawing-declawing-position-statement/

North Carolina has an opportunity to strengthen protections for companion animals.

A cat should not have to undergo an irreversible amputation simply because its natural behaviour is inconvenient to a human.

Sign this petition. Share it. And contact your state legislators to ask them to support legislation banning elective cat declawing.

Let's make North Carolina a state where protecting cats means protecting their paws, too.