This is more good news from Canada with respect to domestic cat health and welfare. The Newfoundland and Labrador College of Veterinarians passed a resolution that their members will no longer perform cat declawing from the beginning of next year. This is in line with a very strong trend in Canada to rapidly phase out the declawing of domestic cats. It is nice to see the veterinarians deciding to stop voluntarily rather than waiting for legislation to ban it.
In December 2017 Nova Scotia decided to ban ‘elective’ cat declawing i.e. declawing at the convenience of the cat’s owner and not for therapeutic reasons.
Also, on May 8, 2018, I announced that British Columbia followed in banning declawing. On May 17, 2018 I announced that VCA Canada Animal Hospitals stopped declawing cats. Earlier, going back to November 2015, veterinarians on Prince Edward Island were considering ending the declawing cats.
On June 9, 2017, I reported that the Regina Cat Rescue, Saskatchewan, Canada decided that they would refuse adoptions by clients who insisted on declawing their cat.
There may be other examples where declawing has been banned locally in Canada. The point that I’m making is that there is a general trend across the country to stop this totally unacceptable operation which is almost universally carried out for non-therapeutic reasons.
It is surely time for America to wake up and follow suit. Eight cities have banned declawing all of which are in California. Two states, New Jersey and New York have discussed it but as yet declawing is still legal in all the states of the US. It’s a great shame. Vets can make a good living without relying on the unjustifiable mutilation of cats. The Canadian vets have proved that.
