Story published on February 5, 2025
CityVet is a veterinary group company with over 55 vet clinics in America.
They say on their website that their core values are, “We promise to serve pet families in the kindest ways possible. Our collective compassion, support, and exceptional care shape our values and give us purpose everyday.”
They say “Kindness Is In Our Culture. Everyone here is united by kindness and passionate about serving those who need us most. We are animal lovers, incredible listeners, willing helpers, and devoted healers, all working together daily to ensure patients and families receive the best care possible.”
CityVet says, “Care Rooted In Kindness” on their website.
We reached out to the CityVet leaders, in January of 2025, to ask them if they allow declawing and never heard back from them.
CityVet blocked City the Kitty on Instagram (@CityVet) and on Facebook (@CityVetUSA)
We wanted to see how common declawing is in CityVet clinics, so our researchers made a short phone call random CityVet clinics and asked them for the cost of a neuter/spay/declaw, if declawing is ok for a cat long term, if they do them regularly, and who is their declawing veterinarian.
We have withheld the names of employees for fear that they might suffer a backlash for their honest answers.
Please send a polite note to the CEO of CityVet, David Boguslawski, and Chief Veterinary Officer, Dr Paul Kline and ask them why they allow declawing in their veterinary clinics and if they think declawing is care rooted in kindness. [email protected]
Out of 22 random CityVet practices, we found almost 1/3 are performing declawing.
Also some of these vet clinics claim that laser declawing is better but the facts are that it is just as mutilating as the other methods and in fact can cause more issues because it’s burning off the toe bones. Number 8 in our declawing sections talks about the facts about laser declawing. Declawing facts vs myths
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1) CityVet Kallison Ranch, San Antonio, TX
The researcher asked for a cost of a neuter/declaw and the employee asked, “Would it be all four or just the front two.”
They said that a 4 paw/neuter is $800- $1000 and a 2 paw declaw/neuter is $500-$700. They said the owner vet, Dr Greg Gaines is their declawing veterinarian. They said that their doctors like to meet with you first because they don’t like to do the declaws because it’s not always the best practice but that in certain households it needs to be done for safety. They said that in California it’s against the law and in the veterinary profession it’s discouraged.
The employee said in 6 months they have only seen one 4 paw declaw done and that they don’t do them regularly.
They said that declaws are kind of discouraged unless people really need it like those who have immune compromised people or elderly who need to protect their skin or cancer patients. Researcher asked if the cats are ok long term after a declaw and the employee said it depends and if it’s done young it’s better but sometimes they’ve seen that the declawed cats want to bite more and their paws are tender for the rest of their lives when they jump down.
2) CityVet Oak Lawn and Urgent Care, Dallas, TX
The employee said that you have to get a consult exam with a doctor to go over everything first and after the exam they will do a declaw, they have 6 doctors who can do the declaw, and said they do declaws regularly. Researcher asked if the cats are ok long term after the declaws and the employee said yes, that’s their job and yes the cats are ok.
3) CityVet Uptown and Ruffit, Dallas, TX
The employee said that a 2 paw declaw is $764, they do them regularly, and their declawing veterinarian is Dr Brynn Ross and she uses a laser. Researcher asked if the cats are ok long term after a declaw and the employee said yes.
4) CityVet Uptown, Charlotte, NC
The employee said that normally their doctor doesn’t like to do a declaw because they don’t have a laser.
They refer cat owners who want a declaw to Carolina Veterinary Medical Hospital in Charlotte because they use a laser because the cat “heals better and faster and it doesn’t hurt them as much.”
Carolinas Medical Hospital, Charlotte, NC. is not a CityVet clinic. Their voice recording says, “Our mission is to inspire the human animal bond through love and healing.”
Their employee said that a neuter/2 paw declaw is $490-$620. They said if you want a 4 paw declaw you would have to discuss that with their declawing vet, Dr Watson. They said that he does 2 paw declaws regularly. Researcher asked if the cats are ok after and the employee said, “yes, he uses a laser.” They said that the laser has less pain, less blood loss, less swelling and it reduces the risk of infection.
5) CityVet Phillips Creek. Frisco, TX
The employee said that you have to get an exam first. They said that their declawing vet is Dr Katie Colquitt and said, “she doesn’t normally like to perform them” and repeated, “She doesn’t like to perform them” and said it’s a very painful procedure and it’s like cutting off our finger tips and it’s not something they normally like to do. They said it depends case by case and if she talks to the owner in the exam about and if it’s something she’d be ok doing then she will. Researcher asked if it’s bad for a cat and the employee said they wouldn’t say it’s bad but it’s just not standard practice.
6) CityVet Midtown, Atlanta, GA
The employee said that a declaw is $300 and a neuter/declaw is around $650 and their declawing vet is Dr Cathy Fish and she uses a laser. The researcher asked if they do declaws regularly and the employee said yes. The researcher asked if the cats are ok long term after a declaw and the employee said, “I believe so” and you can talk to Dr Fish more questions about it.
7) CityVet Chamblee, GA
The employee said that their doctor does not recommend declawing but she will determine if she will do a declaw in special cases or certain circumstances.
CityVet clinics that do not perform declawing.
8) CityVet Westminster, Colorado.
The employee said that their doctors do not declaw cats and said that it’s medically unnecessary, it involves chopping off the last digit of the bone on each digit, and the cats can’t defend themselves.
9) CityVet Highlands Ranch, Colorado.
They do not do declaws. They said that Denver has outlawed it. They said declaws can be difficult for a cat.
10) CityVet Fort Worth, TX
They do not do declaws.
11) CityVet Celina Crossing, Prosper, TX
The employee said that “CityVet does not declaw” and said that their doctor does not perform declaws.
12) CityVet McKinney, TX
The employee said that they do not perform declawing but said that they believe that their Celina/Prosper, and a couple of their Dallas locations offer declawing. (Celina Crossing doesn’t perform declaws but the Uptown and Ruffit and Oaklawn CityVet clinics in Dallas do perform declaws.)
They said if you do the neuter/declaw at the same time there’s less fees so to get them to make you a bundle estimate for both.
13) CityVet Old East Dallas, TX
The employee said that they will only declaw a cat for a medical reason for the cat.
14) CityVet White Rock, Dallas, TX
The employee said that their doctors do not declaw cats. They said it’s not very good for a cat and it involves clipping the front part of their toes.
15) CityVet Mansfield, TX
They do not declaw cats.
16) CityVet Windhaven, Plano, TX
They do not do declaws.
17) CityVet Mid Cities, TX
They do not declaws. They said that declawing is not something they suggest, it’s like cutting off their fingers off at the knuckles, they said the cats can have a lot of pain, they might stop using the litter box, and you would have a hard time finding a vet who declaws in Texas.
18) CityVet West Moore, Oklahoma
They said their doctors do not perform declaws.
19) CityVet Edmond and Urgent care. Oklahoma
They said that they do not declaw cats.
20) CityVet Cedar Hill, TX
They do not declaw cats.
21) CityVet Woodstock, GA
They do not declaw cats.
22) CityVet Roswell and Urgent care, GA
They do not declaw cats.