An Arizona House panel voted to pass a bill that makes the procedure of declawing cats illegal. The Government and Elections Committee heard testimonials from veterinarians that the practice is unnecessary.
Arizona Humane Society president and veterinarian Dr. Steve Hansen says the procedure requires amputation of the last third of each of the cat’s fingers.
"It's amputated right at the joint. The reason that it's done is because if you just remove the claw itself it's likely to regrow, at least a certain percentage of them will regrow and cause the cat great discomfort walking and great pain."
While some people said they worry about injuries that come from cat scratches, Hansen says declawing can often lead the cat to react in other ways, such as biting, which can be more serious and says trimming the cat’s claws is preferable.
