Unnecessary and Inhumane: Majority of Ohio Vet Clinics Still Perform Declawing Despite Clear Evidence of Harm
Ohio — A statewide investigative declawing survey of 100 randomly selected veterinary clinics reveals a deeply troubling picture of the welfare of cats in Ohio, where this inhumane, mutilating, and cruel amputation procedure remains routine in many communities.
Declawing is the amputation of the last bone of every cat’s toe and it has been condemned by leading veterinary organizations and animal welfare organizations and outlawed in six U.S. states, restricted in dozens of cities, banned in eight of nine Canadian provinces, and prohibited in more than 40 countries. Decades of studies link the procedure to lifelong chronic pain, arthritis, mobility issues, and behavioral problems that often lead to cats being surrendered to shelters or euthanized.
Yet in Ohio, the practice remains widespread.
This survey found that approximately 80% of these clinics still declaw cats, with some openly advertising the procedure online and other even performing four-paw declaws.