This is another great step in the direction of totally removing cat declawing from America. The movement to stop declawing has been slow but it is sure. There is progress and it will delight millions of Americans and people outside America.
Banfield is the largest privately owned veterinary practice in the United States. They are part of the Mars family of companies. They operate overseas too. What they do has an impact across the US in the world of pet health.
The Paw Project is the leading campaigner in the world for the cessation of declawing. They are a wonderful organisation. Dated Jan 11th 2020, on Twitter they reported that ‘Banfield Hospitals went no declaw today! They are doing what’s right for cats!‘
The image below accompanied their tweet and Banfield’s full statement can be seen on their website.
Declawing is banned in eight Californian cities, St. Louis (Missouri), Denver and in New York state. The state of New Jersey may ban it. Large areas of Canada have banned declawing.
Progress is being made. This aberration in America’s culture is fading away and about time too. Elective declawing means that it is done at the election of the owner who chooses to do it for convenience. Banfield will still declaw if it is the best interests of the cat. This is very rare indeed while elective declawing is currently quite common in the US and in still in parts of Canada but nowhere else on the planet. It is a North American problem.
The phrase ‘declawing’ is a misrepresentation dreamed up by vets to make it sound less damaging to the cat. A lot of people have learned that it is the removal of ten toes of the forepaws from the last knuckle. The operation is a mass partial amputation and it is understandably incredibly painful. Often there are complications, often the operation is botched and often the complications last a lifetime. End the horror story.
SOME MORE ON DECLAWING:
