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Claw Enforcement: California is latest state to ban cat declawing
January 21, 2026, 2:25 pm CST
California is the latest jurisdiction to ban cat declawing, a move supported by various animal rights and veterinary organizations. (Photo from Shutterstock)
In the latest knuckle-down on cat declawing, California this year joins five other states and Washington, D.C., in banning the surgical procedure for nonmedical reasons.
The law, which took effect in January, prohibits declawing unless a veterinarian performs the procedure for medical reasons, such as removing tumors or preventing chronic infection. New York, Maryland, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Virginia already ban cat declawing, as do more than a dozen cities, such as Denver, Pittsburgh and St. Louis.
Animal rights advocates anticipate more states will pass similar laws to prevent individuals from pushing the surgical procedure onto their feline companions for mere human convenience. But veterinary organizations say the decision of whether to declaw a cat should be left to the discretion of the veterinarian.
Rajesh K. Reddy is an assistant law professor and director of the animal law program at Lewis & Clark Law School. He is also chair-elect of Animal Law Committee of the American Bar Association Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Section.
The new law reaffirms California’s vanguard role in advancing animal rights on a national level, Reddy says.
“Indeed, with cats regarded as members of the family, the new law represents another step in securing their inherent interests and further distinguishes them from ‘mere property,’” he adds.
“I fully expect that several other states will see similar bills introduced in the coming years,” Rajesh K. Reddy says.
Claws out
The American Animal Hospital Association and the Feline Veterinary Medical Association oppose elective declawing. The American Veterinary Medical Association stresses that it doesn’t support the routine declawing of cats and says veterinarians should work with cat owners to implement effective nonsurgical alternatives.
“We believe that declaw should only be considered when it is medically necessary or when all other efforts to manage harmful scratching behaviors have failed, and the alternative may be abandonment, relinquishment or euthanasia,” says Michael Q. Bailey, president of the American Veterinary Medical Association.
He emphasizes that every cat is unique and that veterinarians are best-positioned to evaluate the animal and the situation. Additionally, Bailey says there are “serious concerns about laws that restrict a veterinarian’s ability to use their medical judgment in partnership with pet owners.”
According to him, veterinary medicine is “not one-size-fits-all, and blanket bans can unintentionally limit options.”
The most common method of cat declawing, onychectomy, is a surgical procedure during which the distal bones of a cat’s toes are amputated, which removes the entire nail bed and claw. It’s controversial because of the potential for chronic pain and nerve damage, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association.
The purpose of declawing is to prevent cats from scratching household items, humans and other animals. But since claws are one way cats defend themselves, removing claws could lead to aggressive behaviors like biting, according to a study in the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery.
West Hollywood was the first jurisdiction in the United States to institute a ban in 2003, prompting other California cities, including Los Angeles and San Francisco, to follow suit. In 2019, New York became the first state to ban declawing.
Under California’s law, veterinarians who perform unnecessary declawing surgeries can face fines and the possibility of having their license denied, revoked or suspended.
While most of the declawing bans contain exceptions focused on the cat’s health, Virginia’s law allows for declawing to protect the owner’s or a household member’s life or health. Under the law, a licensed physician must provide documentation identifying the underlying condition that necessitates the procedure.
“Public sentiment has shifted against this cruel practice” that is increasingly viewed as “unnecessary and inhumane,” Reddy says.
“I fully expect that several other states will see similar bills introduced in the coming years,” he says.
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