TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG) – Declawing your cat may soon be illegal in most cases here in Ohio. They’re just starting to scratch the surface, but there’s a bipartisan bill that’s been introduced in the State Senate.
And as you can imagine, it’s sparked plenty of conversations. Studies suggest that about a quarter of domestic cats in the United States have been declawed, although there are no concrete numbers.
According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, declawing is a major surgery involving amputation and is not medically necessary for the cat in most cases.
Dr. Brooke West has been a veterinarian for nearly 20 years.
“It is a controversial subject and everybody has an opinion on it,” Dr. West said.
Dr. West is the owner of Perrysburg Animal Hospital and West Toledo Animal Hospital.
“We try to discourage owners from doing it because it is ultimately the amputation of their digit. We continue to educate owners and explain it and don’t encourage it in any regard,” Dr. West said.
Instead, she encourages cat owners to choose a non-surgical alternative to declawing.
“Regular nail trims are essential. Scratching posts are another option. You can encourage them to use the scratching posts with things like catnip or treats. There are also soft claws you can attach to their nail bed. They are like press-on nails for kitties,” Dr. West said.
The proposed bill to make it illegal to declaw your cat in Ohio would include fines that start at $1,000 and increase for subsequent offenses. It does include exceptions for health reasons.
The bill proposal states: “The director of agriculture shall impose a civil penalty against a person who violates division (B)(1) of this section in an amount as follows: (1) One thousand dollars on a first offense; (2) One thousand five hundred dollars on a second offense; (3) Two thousand five hundred dollars on a third and any subsequent offense.”
“We know sometimes it is medically necessary for a cat. In cases like infection, a tumor, those things can make it a necessity,” Dr. West said.
Dr. West says there can also be health concerns for some cat owners when it comes to claws.
“We have owners who are older or on blood thinners and so scratching can become a life-threatening condition for them,” Dr. West said.
Dr. West says she has seen a decrease in the number of people asking to have their cats declawed. She credits a major effort to educate people about the procedure for that.
“We don’t see it nearly as often as we used to. It’s educating an owner about what we’re doing and the long-term ramifications of that,” Dr. West said.
Declawing is already banned in New York, Maryland, Massachusetts, Virginia, Washington, D.C. and Rhode Island. The Ohio Senate bill will be heard in the coming weeks.
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This article was published by WTVG on 2025-09-10 18:24:00
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