In the state of Massachsetts, like many other states, it is perfectly legal to declaw your cat. Pet owners tend to pay for this inhumane procedure to prevent a cat from scratching them or their belongings. "Onychectomy, popularly known as declawing, is an operation to remove an animal's claws surgically by means of the amputation of all or part of the distal phalanges, or end bones, of the animal's toes." "Contrary to most people's understanding, declawing consists of amputating not just the claws, but the whole phalanx (up to the joint), including bones, ligaments, and tendons! To remove the claw, the bone, nerve, joint capsule, collateral ligaments, and the extensor and flexor tendons must all be amputated. Thus declawing is not a "simple", single surgery but 10 separate, painful amputations of the third phalanx up to the last joint of each toe. A graphic comparison in human terms would be the cutting off of a person's finger at the last joint of each finger." People don't realize that this procedure will in fact ruin a cats life and lead to a ton of different problems including but not limited to: excruciating pain, damage to the radial nerve, hemorrhage, bone chips that prevent healing, painful regrowth of deformed claw inside of the paw which is not visible to the eye, and chronic back and joint pain as shoulder, leg and back muscles weaken. There are many options to consider before declawing: clipping your cats nails biweekly, buying them a scratching post or purchasing "Soft Paws" a clip on rounded tip nail cover invented by a Veterinarian to prevent declawing procedures from happening. There are a lot of people educated on this topic but there are still many who know nothing about it and unknowingly take part in animal cruelty to their own cat. By signing this petition you are agreeing that this procedure is inhumane and allowing everyone else the knowledge to understand this as well. Declaw Awareness Day is March 29th, let's see how far we can by then!