This alert is no longer active, but here for reference. Animals still need your help.

There's now even more reason to hope that California will become the third state in the U.S. to ban the declawing of cats with the California Assembly voting 60-5 to pass AB 2606 on May 26, 2022, but it still has to get through the Senate and be signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom.

This bill has widespread support from animal advocacy organizations but is still being opposed by the California Veterinary Medical Association. Please urge your senators to pass this important piece of legislation to protect cats from being subjected to this cruel and unethical procedure within the state!

As we've stated before, this isn't a simple procedure that removes a cat's nails. Declawing is a surgical procedure, formally known as an onychectomy, that removes the last bone in each of a cat's front toes to which the nail is attached; it's analogous to cutting off a human's fingertips at the last joint.

Sadly, cats continue to be subjected to this surgery because they scratch things, and us, but scratching is a normal and necessary behavior for them. Not only does declawing cause immense pain, but it can also lead to other unwanted behaviors, including avoiding the litter box and resorting to biting because they've lost their primary defense. These are also issues that increase the likelihood of cats being surrendered to shelters; declawing is not a surefire way to keep them in homes.

Research has also linked declawing to other long-term health consequences, including chronic back pain, and other issues, such as bone fragments being left behind after surgery and causing pain.

Around the world, declawing is frowned upon by veterinary professionals and has been banned in several countries. In the U.S., it's banned in New York and Maryland. As for California, eight cities have already stepped up to stop this cruelty — it's time to make declawing illegal statewide.

This alert is no longer active, but here for reference. Animals still need your help.