Update: April 3, 2019

The California Assembly Committee on Business and Professions has set a hearing for April 23, 2019 to consider the bill to ban declawing.

If you live in California, Alley Cat Allies encourages you to attend the hearing in person to testify in support of Assembly Bill 1230. California residents can also contact their legislators and urge them to pass the bill.

Learn the details about the bill and the upcoming hearing.

Original Message:

California could soon take an important step toward protecting the health and wellbeing of cats by banning the harmful procedure of declawing. Eight cities in California, including Los Angeles and San Francisco, have already outlawed declaw surgery. Now, Alley Cat Allies is supporting an important bill to ban declawing throughout the state.

The California Assembly Committee on Business and Professions is considering Assembly Bill 1230 to prohibit declaw surgery on animals statewide. Alley Cat Allies is urging supporters in California to contact their legislators and ask them to hold a hearing on and support this bill, which is the first step toward making the bill into law.

Declawing is no nail trim; it is the surgical amputation of the last joints of a cat’s toes. The procedure can cause chronic pain and long-lasting trauma that could lead to behavioral issues. Cats rely on their claws to protect themselves and for grooming needs. Post-surgery pain in their paws can cause cats to avoid the litterbox. Without the natural protection of their claws, cats can also become more aggressive and are more likely to bite.

These are among the most common reasons cats are relinquished to animal shelters. Cats are almost always declawed to prevent unwanted scratching behavior. But many safe, affordable, and humane alternatives are widely available, including scratching posts, deterrent sprays, and vinyl nail caps.

California is one of several states, including New York, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and West Virginia, considering a declaw ban this year. To date, nine cities in the United States (eight in California alone), five Canadian provinces, and at least 41 countries have outlawed declawing.

If you live in California, please contact your legislators and ask them to hold a hearing on and support AB 1230 to end declawing throughout the state.