Many believe that declawing a cat is as simple as pulling off a fingernail, but this is not so. Declawing a cat is the equivalent to cutting the finger off at the first knuckle, which causes significant pain in the animal, and leads to misbehaviors which can cause the animal to be returned. These misbehaviors can include increased aggression due to pain, improper litterbox usage, and even complications with their joints if the surgery is done improperly. The act of declawing cats is in an inhumane method of stopping cats from "improperly scratching," and is a rising issue in households for potential adopters/purchasers of an animal, especially when there are a number of other solutions.

In banning declawing, animals would be significantly easier to socialize, and would potentially show fewer issues in housetraining and companionship exercises. One of the reasons that cats will be surrendered or abandoned, in fact, is due to these misbehaviors after declawing. This will not only protect the community by reducing the number of stray cats, but it will also protect the animals themselves if they are surrendered or abandoned for other reasons.

When a cat is declawed, it loses one of its only defensive mechanisms. Without these claws, it will become more likely to be killed by a wild animal unless it can fight with its teeth. This also becomes an issue for people when dealing with a particularly feral cat; if a cat does not have claws, it will bite, which gives way to a number of dangerous infections. Considering that bites are also a way that certain feline-specific diseases spread, having claws would reduce the chance that a bite would occur.

Overall, declawing cats causes pain, mood changes, behavioral issues, and a risk to people and cats themselves. In banning declawing in Pennsylvania, the risk of human infections, immunocompromised cats, and general misbehavior would be reduced.