Do you need your fingers? Because cats need their claws.

My name is Scarlet Jackson. I am an Ambassador in Girl Scout Troop 13303 in Burton, Michigan. For my gold award (the highest award a girl scout can earn), I wanted to help cats, specially the practice of declawing a cat. I rescued my cat, Mufasa from a local shelter and he came with his two front paws  declawed. This had me curious to why someone will declaw and hurt their cat when there is obviously other alternatives. I plan on helping to ban declawing in the state of Michigan. Sign my petition to make it happen. 

   Cat declawing or onychectomy is the surgical amputation of all or parts of a cat's third phalanges (toe bones) and the attached claws. Declawing traditionally involves the amputation of the last bone of each toe. The surgery may be performed using sterilized nail trimmers, scalpel blades, or surgical laser. If performed on a human being, it would be like cutting off each finger at the last knuckle. It is an unnecessary surgery that provides no medical benefit to the cat. Educated pet parents can easily train their cats to use their claws in a manner that allows everyone in the household to live together happily. 

Right now in Michigan, the Senate and House of Representatives are reviewing House Bill 5508, presented by Nate Shannon. House Bill 5508 would prohibit certain medical procedures for declawing a cat; and to prescribe civil sanctions. Declawing a cat has been banned in most European countries, along with some Canadian provinces and U.S. cities including Denver, San Francisco, and Los Angeles and the state of New York. It is my mission to help ban onychectomy in the state of Michigan. If you wish to help, sign this petition and send the word! Some reliable websites to find out more about declawing would be The Humane Society, the American Veterinary Medical Association, and Declawing.com. Please help all of the little kittens that don't know better and just want to play and have fun. My face-book page is called Public Education of Feline Onychectomy. Please follow, like and share my petition and my face-book for more details!