UPDATE NOVEMBER 2025

THE ASPCA TOOK OUT THE DANGEROUS INFO IN THEIR DECLAWING POSITION THAT SAID, " The ASPCA is strongly opposed to declawing cats for the convenience of their owners or to prevent damage to household property. The only circumstances in which the procedure should be considered are those in which all behavioral and environmental alternatives have been fully explored, have proven to be ineffective, and the cat is at grave risk of euthanasia." and "Legislation to make declawing illegal, while well-intentioned, can be problematic, because, in rare cases, the procedure may be justifiable as a last resort to prevent euthanasia. There is also no meaningful way to enforce a law that includes this exception." 

WE CONSIDER THIS A VICTORY FOR CATS BECAUSE THE VETERINARY MEDICAL ASSOCIATIONS CANNOT USE THE ASPCA'S INFORMATION ANYMORE TO HELP STOP THE ANTI-DECLAWING LEGISLATION LIKE THEY DID IN ILLINOIS AND ARIZONA.

LET'S HOPE THAT THE ASPCA WILL NOW ADVOCATE TO BAN DECLAWING, ESPECIALLY IN IL AND AZ WHERE THEIR DECLAWING POSITION WAS USED TO KEEP DECLAWING LEGAL IN THOSE STATES.  PLEASE ASK THE ASPCA TO HELP BAN DECLAWING. LEGISLATION@ASPCA.ORG

March 2025 Update! 

The ASPCA does NOT want declawing banned. 

The ASPCA's declawing position is being used to stop the anti-declawing legislation and as a result, declawing vets continue to profit from performing this animal cruelty. 

Here's our shocking story that shows how the ASPCA's declawing position was used to stop the anti-declawing legislation in WY, IL, and AZ and how declawing vets in those states continue to profit from performing this animal cruelty. https://citythekitty.org/the-aspcas-declawing-position-betrays-cats-helps-declawing-vets-profit-from-this-animal-cruelty/

Please send the ASPCA an email and ask them to be on the side of cats, completely condemn declawing, and help ban it. publicinformation@aspca.org or guardians@aspca.org

Call the ASPCA 1 888 666 2279 Ext. 3

Ask them the same questions and also ask them where is their data that backs up their declawing position statement that shows that declawing prevents euthanasia. There is none. 

WE MADE A POLITE PHONE CALL TO THE ASPCA'S NUMBER ABOVE AND SPOKE TO ONE OF THEIR TOP DIRECTORS ON THE PHONE AND TOLD HER WE WANTED TO MAKE A DONATION TO THE ASPCA BUT WONDERED WHEN THEY WERE REVISING THEIR POSITION STATEMENT TO COMPLETELY CONDEMN IT AND HELP BAN IT.

THE DIRECTOR SAID THEY WEREN'T CHANGING IT.
OK, IT WAS CLEAR THAT THEY WEREN'T CHANGING THEIR POSITION,  SO WE ASKED FOR THE ASPCA'S DATA THAT SHOWS THAT DECLAWING PREVENTS EUTHANASIA WHICH WOULD BACK UP THEIR POSITION BUT THE DIRECTOR SAID, "WE DO NOT RESPOND TO TERRORIST REQUESTS" and said our conditional donation offer and request for their data was "manipulation at the least and terrorism at the highest level." 

Since when did politely trying to inspire an animal welfare organization to protect cats and ask for their data that backs up their position statement that condones this animal cruelty become terrorism??

 

 UPDATE.  Feb. 23, 2023. We asked a representative with the ASPCA's media line number if the ASPCA condones their declawing position statement being used to stop anti-declawing legislation and as a result is helping declawing vets continue profiting from this animal cruelty.

The ASPCA representative said they weren't sure where we got that misinformation and said, "We actually helped pass the legislation that is against it (declawing) in a couple states. So we are totally against it and we don't even practice it."

We asked, "The ASPCA helped pass legislation to ban declawing?"

The ASPCA representative said, "Right, right. That's our goal because that's cruelty to animals."

They said to go to their website and read their declawing position and reiterated that the ASPCA helped ban declawing in New York and another state. (Maryland)

We wanted to confirm this info with a supervisor and the representative said they would call us back.

Those statements by the ASPCA representative are 100% false. The ASPCA says on their declawing position that they do not want declawing banned and use the excuse that in rare cases it might save a cat's life. The ASPCA won't provide their data that shows that declawing saves a cat's life. There is no real peer reviewed data like that. 

1)     The ASPCA's position statement was used to stop the declawing bans in Wyoming, Illinois, and Arizona. Here's our story. https://citythekitty.org/the-aspca-doesnt-want-declawing-banned-their-position-statement-is-being-used-to-stop-anti-declawing-bills/

2)      The ASPCA's declawing position is HELPING declawing vets continue to profit from this animal cruelty. Here's our story. https://citythekitty.org/the-aspcas-declawing-position-is-on-the-side-of-declawing-veterinarians/

3)     The ASPCA’s declawing position is being used by pro-declaw cat owners and advocates to justify having this barbaric and inhumane amputation procedure done to innocent cats to protect their beloved couch or other weak excuses. 

American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA),

Why Does the ASPCA Think That The Cruelty of Declawing Is Ultimately OK?

The veterinary medical associations have run out of excuses to condone this animal cruelty and are now using the ASPCA's declawing position statement in their testimony to oppose the anti-declawing bills.

Here is the lobbyist for the AzVMA using the ASPCA's position in her testimony. AzVMA uses the ASPCA's declawing position statement to oppose the bill.  Here's the short video. AzVMA lobbyist using the ASPCA's position to stop the Anti-declawing bill

The AZ bill was stopped and it is the ASPCA's fault! The AzVMA used the ASPCA's Position on Declawing to Stop The Anti-declawing bill

The data shows that the ASPCA is wrong about their position statement on declawing

Real. Hard. Data. Here's our story about the ASPCA and declawing. The ASPCA and declawing

Why does the ASPCA choose to ignore the facts?

We ask you (ASPCA) to stop making excuses to justify declawing and completely condemn it.

Also please sign our petition to Subaru. They know about this issue but are still choosing to donate MILLIONS of $$$ to the ASPCA. https://www.change.org/SubaruAskTheASPCAtoBeOnTheSideOfCatsAndHelpBanDeclawing

By doing so, you will be protecting the interest of cats instead of protecting the interest of declawing veterinarians. Declawing veterinarians are even using the ASPCA's declawing position to help stop the anti-declawing bills. Here's the video of one of them. (At the 2.30 minute mark and 8.30 minute mark.) Declawing Vet Uses the ASPCA's declawing position to stop an anti-declawing bill

 

ASPCA, you keep changing the reason you condone declawing in your declawing position statement. WHY? Who is guiding you to be on the side of declawing veterinarians over the side of innocent cats?

In 2015 the ASPCA said the only reason declawing could be condoned would be if the cat owner had a compromised immune system or illness.

In 2016 the ASPCA changed their position statement and said they "do not consider the potential for exposure to zoonotic diseases from cat scratches (including in households with immune compromised people) a valid justification for declawing a resident cat."

Then the ASPCA made up a new excuse and said declawing may be justifiable if all the behavioral and environmental alternatives have been fully explored, have proven to be ineffective, and the cat is at grave risk of euthanasia.

This is what the ASPCA says in their current position statement that was last updated in 2017," The ASPCA is strongly opposed to declawing cats for the convenience of their owners or to prevent damage to household property. The only circumstances in which the procedure should be considered are those in which all behavioral and environmental alternatives have been fully explored, have proven to be ineffective, and the cat is at grave risk of euthanasia." and "Legislation to make declawing illegal, while well-intentioned, can be problematic, because, in rare cases, the procedure may be justifiable as a last resort to prevent euthanasia. There is also no meaningful way to enforce a law that includes this exception." ASPCA's Declawing Position Statement

 

In their "Surgical Procedures for Resolving Undesirable Behavior" they say, "The ASPCA does not support the use of surgical procedures that attempt to circumvent the behavioral issue while exposing pets to unnecessary discomfort and risk."  ASPCA's Surgical Procedures for Resolving Undesirable Behavior section

Is the ASPCA confused? They say they do not support surgical procedures like declawing yet they condone it for the death/declaw excuse.

They say, " The only circumstances in which the procedure should be considered are those in which all behavioral and environmental alternatives have been fully explored, have proven to be ineffective, and the cat is at grave risk of euthanasia" in their destructive scratching section.  ASPCA's Destructive Scratching section

THERE IS NO DATA THAT SHOWS THAT DECLAWING PREVENTS EUTHANASIA. NONE. BUT THERE IS PLENTY OF DATA THAT IT DOES THE OPPOSITE AND DECLAWED CATS LOSE THEIR HOMES AND MANY ARE EUTHANIZED BECAUSE THEY CANNOT BE REHOMED.

Here are two studies. 

"This study found that declaw surgery in cats was associated with a significant increase in the odds of developing adverse behaviors, including biting, barbering, aggression and inappropriate elimination, as well as signs of back pain. There was a high prevalence of P3 fragments in declawed animals in this study and this was associated with an increase in all adverse outcomes in these animals compared with the non-surgical controls. As well, declawed cats with retained P3 fragments had higher odds of back pain, inappropriate elimination and aggression when compared with declawed cats without retained fragments. Although cats receiving optimal surgical technique had fewer adverse outcomes and lower odds of these outcomes being present, these animals were still at increased odds of biting and undesirable habits of elimination as compared with non-surgical controls. We propose that persistent pain and discomfort subsequent to declaw surgery is an important risk factor for the development of behavioral changes such as biting, aggression, barbering and inappropriate elimination. These are common reasons for the relinquishment of cats to shelters."  https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1098612X17705044?journalCode=jfma

 A 2000 study by Patronek in the *Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science* identified inappropriate elimination (e.g., outside the litter box) and aggression as leading causes of cat relinquishment. Since the 2017 study ties declawing to these exact behaviors, it’s reasonable to infer a potential pathway: declawing → behavioral problems → surrender → possible euthanasia.

Top 10 reasons why cats are relinquished to shelters. 
National
Council on Pet Population Study1998

1. Moving (8%)

2. Landlord not allowing pet (6%)

3. Too many animals in household (11%)

4. Cost of pet maintenance (6%)

5. Owner having personal problems (4%)

6. Inadequate facilities (2%)

7. No homes available for litter mates (6%)

8. Allergies in family (8%)

9. House soiling (5%)

10. Incompatibility with other pets (2%)

 

Declawing is the amputation of a cat's last toe bone. It is performed routinely in veterinary practices across the country.

Thousands of declawed cats are thrown away because of the behavioral issues they develop from being declawed and many are euthanized because of they can't find new homes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here is just ONE of the many examples from a shelter director show that declawed cats are thrown away and many are euthanized because of being declawed. Declawing Doesn't Keep Cats in Homes

Don't you care about all those declawed cats ASPCA?

Declawing is inhumane, cruel, mutilating, and harmful to the long term health and well-being of a cat or kitten.

It is animal cruelty!

Cats deserve better ASPCA and you of all the organizations should completely condemn this cruelty and torture that's being done to innocent and healthy cats.

It's time for you to be strong. We will celebrate your bravery in leading the way to a better world for cats.

Here is my story about ASPCA and their declawing position statement. http://www.citythekitty.com/aspca-wont-support-a-bill-that-is-good-for-cats-but-bad-for-the-pocketbooks-of-vets-who-declaw-cats/

Here's a story about the ASPCA by HumaneWatch.org and how much money their executives are making. https://humanewatch.org/how-the-aspca-shortchanges-animals-and-donors/

Can you PLEASE respectfully ask the ASPCA why they are making weak excuses to condone this animal cruelty and send us an email to citythekitty@gmail.com if you get an answer from them. 

Here are their emails- publicinformation@aspca.org
donate@aspca.org

For more information about declawing go to the www.PawProject.org and www.CitytheKitty.com

 

 

 

Please follow City the Kitty on facebook, Instagram (@citythekitty), and Twitter (@City_the_Kitty) for updates about this campaign and more.

Also please go to the PawProject.org to read about the facts about declawing and their crusade to end declawing. They are also on facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.