Cat Declawing Officially Banned In Denver
DENVER (CBS4) - A proposal to ban cat declawing passed in Denver's city council Monday night.
A bill to ban cat declawing in #Denver was given final approval by City Council. Watch the meeting on Denver 8.
— Office of Denver City Council (@DenCityCouncil) November 14, 2017
The council unanimously approved a first reading of the ban, 11-0, last week.
Veterinarians call declawing a major and often painful surgery. The procedure is an amputation of a cat's first knuckle.
The ban outlaws the procedure in Denver unless a surgery was medically necessary.
Vets say cats who are declawed are more likely to exhibit bad behaviors and eventually cause owners to give up on their pets.
A ban could potentially lower the number of cats in rescue shelters.
Most veterinarians already say they won't perform a declaw surgery for an owner's vanity. However, supporters of the ban say a regulation is needed.