We are urging the NC legislature to outlaw the declawing of cats!

The declawing of cats, onychectomy, is the amputation of bone, tendons, and muscles on cats’ paws, done under general anesthesia. The outdated and barbaric reasons for this procedure have been to prevent destruction of furniture, curtains, etc. and scratching humans. If performed on a human being, declawing would be like cutting off each finger at the last knuckle.
 
Cats need their toes for protection, balance, and stretching.  Aside from the risk of unnecessary anesthesia, some well noted effects of declawing have been:  PAIN—including back pain and muscle atrophy, infection, lameness, litter box problems, tissue necrosis, and personality changes.  Some cats become biters, their only defense.  They can NEVER go outside again, and sometimes have difficulty being re-homed.

The following have made it policy to oppose declawing cats:

the American Medical Veterinary Association

the American Association of Feline Practitioners

the American Animal Hospital Association

the Humane Society 

Infectious disease specialists, with regards to immunocompromised patients, don’t recommend declawing. (The risk from scratches for these people is less than those from bites, cat litter, or fleas carried by their cats).

Over half of U.S. veterinary schools no longer include onychectomy in their core curriculum.  The States of New York and NJ , and 10 major U.S. cities as well as several CA cities, have outlawed cat declawing.  Most of Europe, England, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, have abandoned this cruel practice.

We the undersigned urge the NC legislature to outlaw this cruel, inhumane, and unnecessary practice.