We, the undersigned animal guardians, community members, and advocates for humane veterinary care, respectfully urge all veterinary hospitals and clinics to discontinue non-therapeutic feline declawing procedures, also known as onychectomy.

Declawing is now widely recognized as an invasive surgical amputation that removes the last bone of each toe and can result in significant, long-term harm. Numerous veterinary and animal-welfare organizations have taken clear positions against declawing as a convenience procedure.

Veterinary & Animal Welfare Organizations’ Positions:

Major veterinary and animal-welfare organizations widely oppose elective cat declawing, citing ethical concerns, significant pain, and risks such as nerve damage, behavioral problems, and mobility issues. Groups including the AAFP, AVMA, AAHA, and HSUS advocate for non-surgical alternatives such as environmental enrichment, scratching-behavior training, and proper nail care, reserving surgery only for cases of true medical necessity. Internationally, many countries—including the UK, much of Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and parts of Canada—ban or heavily restrict declawing as an inhumane practice. These outcomes reduce quality of life and frequently result in behavioral problems that put cats at higher risk of relinquishment or euthanasia.

Humane & Effective Alternatives Exist:

Veterinary teams can fully support clients without declawing by offering routine nail trimming, soft nail caps, scratching-training guidance, environmental enrichment, scratching posts, surface variety, behavior modification support, and safe deterrents for unwanted scratching. These approaches respect feline biology, prevent property damage, and maintain the cat–human bond.

Our Request:

We respectfully call on all veterinary hospitals and clinics to:

1.      Discontinue elective/non-therapeutic feline declawing procedures, and

2.      Adopt and publish a humane policy that allows onychectomy only when medically necessary for the cat’s health, not human convenience.

Resources:

1.      American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP) — Position Statement on Declawing: https://www.aafponline.org/resources/statements/declawing.html

2.      American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) — Declawing of Domestic Cats policy: https://www.avma.org/resources-tools/avma-policies/declawing-domestic-cats

3.      American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) — Position Statement on Declawing: https://www.aaha.org/declawing/ 

4.      Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) / ASPCA — Position Statement on Declawing Cats: https://www.aspca.org/about-us/aspca-policy-and-position-statements/position-statement-declawing-cats

5.      World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) — Global Position Statement on Cosmetic Alterations, including declawing bans worldwide: https://wsava.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/WSAVA-Position-Statement-on-Cosmetic-Alterations-in-Companion-Animals.pdf