Declawing in cats is legal cruelty being done to our kitties. It is an extremely painful procedure which is a complete amputation of the last knuckle and claw of a cats paw. This is equivalent to cutting off a humans toes and fingers at the last joint. Cat declawing is unfortunately a common practice encouraged by veterinarians often times because of how much money they make from it. There are various different techniques, from scalpels to lasers, and each is just as cruel and painful as the last. Any declawing, whether done manually or with a laser must be treated with aggressive pain management. Statistically, according to the American Veterinary Association, 1 out of 3 declawed cats will develop behavior issues such as biting and not using the litter box due to the declawing. This is a cruel selfish procedure done purely for humans and not at all being in the best interest of the cat. Cats walk on their toes, and when they are declawed they are forced to walk flat footed which will eventually cause arthritis in the wrists, elbows, paws and legs. It is also advised that patients with medical issues that cause suppressed immune systems do NOT declaw cats, as it will increase their chances of biting which is much more likely to cause an infection. I am acquiring a degree in the animal field and aspire to be a Veterinarian one day myself. Animals, and most especially cats are my passion. They are living, breathing creatures that feel just like us, that love us and they are suffering because of us. This is an awful, inhumane surgery that is illegal in many countries including Germany, Australia, France, England, Ireland and more. There are also 8 cities in California where declawing cats is banned. My goal is to get a petition of 10,000 signatures of people in Colorado and send it to the mayor of Colorado Springs, John Suthers, and propose our city follows the cities in California and ban declawing and animal cruelty.