Maryland Will Become Second State to Prohibit Pet Owners from Declawing Cats.
The Maryland House voted on Thursday to ban the declawing of cats unless it is medically necessary, making it the second state in the U.S. to halt the procedure after New York passed similar legislation in 2019, according to the Associated Press.
"When people wrap their head around it, the idea that we would mutilate to protect a furniture item is abhorrent to people," Maryland State Del.
She said that declawing "takes not just the nail, but the nail bed and part of the bone and cuts it off.
The Maryland bill prevents veterinarians from declawing cats for cosmetic or aesthetic reasons, or for the convenience of their owners.
Several veterinarians on both sides of the issue testified in front of the Maryland Senate.
"Declawing is both painful and traumatic, and it was been outlawed in Germany and other parts of Europe as a form of cruelty. »