L.A. council committee favors law against declawing cats, calling it animal cruelty

A key committee of the Los Angeles City Council voted today to seek a law banning veterinarians from declawing cats, saying the procedure constituted cruelty to animals.

The council’s Public Safety Committee unanimously recommended that City Atty. Carmen Trutanich draft an ordinance banning the practice. The proposal was made by Councilmen Bill Rosendahl and Paul Koretz, who said the procedure caused “unnecessary pain, anguish and permanent disability” to cats.

“Anyone who cannot handle the claws of a cat should not have a cat to begin with,” said Rosendahl, a cat owner who represents coastal neighborhoods from Westchester to Pacific Palisades.

Cats have been an important policy issue for Koretz, who, as a lawmaker in Sacramento, tried without success to enact a statewide ban on declawing in 2003. The following year, he won passage of a bill prohibiting the declawing of exotic animals, such as lions. After joining the council in July, Koretz began using televised council meetings to find owners for cats in the city shelter system.

Councilman Tony Cardenas threw his support behind the measure but voiced doubts that the city’s Animal Services Department had enough employees to enforce such a law.  He also worried that cat owners will simply go to veterinarians in neighboring cities to get the procedure, sometimes known as an onychectomy.

“I don’t want to give you false hope,” Councilman Greig Smith told the audience of cat advocates and assorted city employees. “This is not going to stop the problem.”

West Hollywood already has a ban on declawing, and Santa Monica is expected to give final approval to a similar measure next week. Malibu, Beverly Hills and San Francisco also are considering declawing bans.

In Los Angeles, the proposed declawing law would allow exceptions in cases where removing claws would address the medical needs of a cat, such as an infection or recurring illness.

During today’s hearing, animal shelter officials confirmed that they didn't have the resources to crack down on declawing. That issue did not worry Koretz, who said he believed most veterinarians would drop the practice in Los Angeles once a declawing ban was on the books.

“It’s going to be 99% self-enforcing,” he said.

-- David Zahniser at L.A. City Hall

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Comments

[Jim J]

Great news. Congratulations to all the committee members for spending a few minutes on this issue and making the compassionate decision.

[Bill Hansworth]

Cats?? Claws??? You're kidding me.
Fix the damn roads, clean up the schools, and do your job first!!! Then we can worry about the poor little kittens.

L.A. City Council are a bunch of ***wipes.

[JeffGrill]

According to http://www.cat-health-guide.org/declawing-a-cat.html, declawing is always a last resort. It should only be used if behavioral modification fails. This isn't something that should be legislated as it should be up to an owner and his or her veterinarian.

[lastilldumbest]

to Charles Vought - or is it Charles OVERWROUGHT? - You want repayment for ruined drapes, furniture etc. if the city bans the incredibly cruel & painful practice of declawing? Seeing as how you haven't a brain in your skull, I'll explain in tiny words the solution: DON'T GET A CAT. You don't deserve one, you shouldn't have one - that goes for the rest of you who think it's "fine & they're happy". As for the BS about how there will be so many more unwanted cats, that is a huge separate issue but also borne of incredible selfishness on the part of humans. Get your pets neutered. PERIOD. If we cut the birth rate of animals, then there will only be enough available for people who really want them & are willing to tolerate their normal, natural behavior. Yeah, my cat tore up my leather chair. Sometimes the old guy miscalculates the litter box & pees outside. But sometimes my neighbor comes home drunk and vomits on the stairs and plays his huge-screen tv too loud - is it ok if I rip his fingernails off?

[Jessica]

Declawing cats is animal cruelty. It permanently disfigures them, takes away a defense mechanism and even indoor cats run the risk of getting outside. Those whose furniture and carpet is so valuable that they would even consider putting their pet through such a procedure SHOULD NOT have cats PERIOD. You wouldn't cut the tips off your kid's fingers, would you?
However, if the City Council really wants to do something in the name of animal cruelty why not make it mandatory that all animal owners spay and neuter their pets unless they are licensed breeders. That would crack down on the rampant feral cat/dog population, which is a bigger problem than declawed cats. Besides many veterinarians simply won't do the procedure ban or no ban.

[Astonished]

I don't know of any licensed veterinarians in the South Bay that voluntarily do onychectomies. Usually, it is a procedure that is done as a last resort, to either save the life of an animal, or to prevent it from being euthanized instead because the "owner" can't stand the scratching. There are far easier and more humane ways to deal with this issue. I have cats, and they stay inside, and I don't have an issue with them scratching because I provide them with areas where they can scratch.

[Angela Gunn]

This is cruelty why do cats have claws to begin with so they can protect themselfs no way is this not cruel ofcourse it is its the Animals with 2 legs that are normaly the beasts.

[crooks and liars]

what los angeles need is to declawing all city hall politicians and the ladwp they keep on riping oure money but i gest we like it .

[Alex]

First of all I see the LA Council has nothing better to do then involving themselves in citizens private matters.
As far as I'm concerned cat owners are a despicable group who just abandon their animals, allow them to breed with out concern and now attempt to mandate to other animal owners as to whats right. Keep you cat inside, declaw them, nuter them or let them rome and get run over by a car.

[Brunilda Perez]

In support of the declawning ban...Brunilda

[4gr8rgood]

I applaud Paul Koretz and the leaders of this city for considering this important legislation. I've seen first hand the physiological damage and behavioral problems declawing causes. While I understand it may be difficult to enforce a declaw ban fully, the important thing is that such a measure will educate the public about the harmful effects of the procedure. Doing so will make people think twice before driving to the next city to butcher their cats' toes. I fully support this measure of compassion, and look forward to the day that the rest of the U.S. joins the many other civilized nations that outlaw declawing.

[Dr Jim]

The world's consensus is that declawing is cruel. Cruelty should be prohibited. Therefore, it is reasonable to ban declawing. It's that simple.

[Larry Pierson]

Congratulations to those who are utterly unable to comprehend the consequences of such an asinine policy. Now instead of adopting pets people will leave them in the pound to be 'put to sleep' since no one wants a cat with claws ripping their furniture and clothing to pieces in the house.

The SPCA, PETA, and anyone else who gloats over this victory will be responsible for the deaths of thousands of additional cats.