New Hampshire has joined Maryland in considering critical legislation to outlaw the cruel practice of cat declawing in 2022. Alley Cat Allies President and Founder Becky Robinson submitted written testimony in support of the declawing ban and is rallying advocates in New Hampshire to reach out to their legislators as well.
Today, January 25, the New Hampshire House of Representatives Environment and Agriculture Committee will be holding its first committee hearing on HB 1226, “An Act Prohibiting the Declawing of Cats.” If enacted into law, the bill would prohibit cat declawing throughout the statea measure only New York has taken so far.
Ending declawing, a painful and unnecessary surgery which involves severing a cat’s toes at the knuckle, has been a major focus of Alley Cat Allies’ mission since our founding in 1990. A lack of understanding about declawing allowed the practice to harm a great number of cats for many years. Declawing was once even considered routine procedure.
But through Alley Cat Allies’ widespread education and awareness campaigns, veterinarians, legislators, and members of the public have become increasingly aware of the detrimental effects of declawing on cats’ wellbeing. More legislation that reflects this knowledge is introduced every year.
Declawing a cat can lead to chronic pain, arthritis, balance issues, and back problems. The residual pain from the procedure and the loss of their claws, a cat’s first line of defense, can also result in litter box avoidance and biting.
Furthermore, claws are an extremely important part of a cat’s anatomy, critical for their everyday behavioral needs, and should never be removed. Humane alternatives to prevent destructive scratching are available and affordable.
Alongside New York state, 13 major cities including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Denver, and Pittsburgh, and at least 42 countries including Switzerland, Israel, and England have outlawed declawing cats. Major veterinary hospital chains Banfield, Blue Pearl, and VCA also prohibit declawing in their hospitals.
New Hampshire has a chance to be the next leader in the growing movement to protect cats from cruel declawing once and for all.
Learn more through Alley Cat Allies’ Keep Cats’ Claws On Their Paws campaign.