Seminole County is considering an ordinance that would make it the second county in Florida, following Volusia County, to ban cat declawing.
Owners often declaw their cats to protect their furniture and prevent scratching injuries, but scratching is a part of cats’ normal behavior. It conditions the claws, helps them mark their territory, supports self-defense and engages their muscles, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association.
Growing support for a ban
The idea of a ban on the practice is gaining support. Several other states, cities and counties nationwide have prohibited the practice.
Jodi Mancuso, a volunteer with Wednesday’s Community Cats & Kittens, said declawing can cause distress in cats.
“If you see them scratching furniture and stuff, they're saying, ‘Hey, this is my spot,’” Mancuso said. “And if they can't do that, sometimes they get depressed. And I don't think people realize that it changes their whole mindset. It changes the way they can protect themselves.”
Dr. Mitsie Vargas is a veterinarian and spoke at a recent Seminole County Animal Control Board Meeting. She said declawing is cruel, and while it prevents scratching, it can increase biting – resulting in more severe wounds.
“They stop from scratching, but they actually increase the propensity for them to bite and the bite wounds are way worse than the scratch,” Vargas said. “That’s where the bacteria that causes cat scratch fever is transmitted.”
Declawing complications
The declawing procedure, called an onychectomy, surgically amputates part of the cat’s toe bones and attached claws. The American Veterinary Medical Association discourages the procedure because it can result in chronic pain and complications like hemorrhage.
Mancuso said declawed cats tend to avoid litter boxes. She believes a declawing ban may reduce instances of owners abandoning their cat for this reason.
“We've seen cats actually thrown outside after they've been declawed, and we're suspecting it's because they don't use the litter box,” Mancuso said. “There would probably be less, less people surrendering and throwing their declawed cats outside.”
A draft of the declawing ordinance will go before Seminole County Commissioners at a future public meeting.