Huge news, cat lovers! Yesterday, VCA Pet Hospitals announced that they will no longer provide elective declawing, following the same announcement from Banfield Pet Hospitals last month. Together, VCA and Banfield operate over 2,000 pet hospitals nationwide employing almost 10,000 veterinarians. This is a major step toward eliminating the barbaric practice of declawing!
VCA stated, “We believe that every pet owner has the responsibility for providing a safe and supportive home for their animal that enables appropriate expression of natural behaviors and fully integrates them into the home and family. Every medical procedure supported by our veterinary practices has been put in place with the health and wellbeing of pets in mind and, based on this, we do not support the elective declawing of any animal in our veterinary practices.”
I say, bravo! Here at Hauspanther we are constantly sharing ideas for how to give your cat appropriate places to scratch and how to provide the necessary enrichment they need to live a full and happy life. We are thrilled to see this progress toward eliminating declawing entirely.
Director of The Paw Project, Dr. Jennifer Conrad, who has been instrumental in working to make declawing cats illegal in the US, says of the recent decisions by VCA and Banfield, “Congratulations to VCA and Banfield. Your decision to end declawing will change the course of history for the better. With this landmark policy, you have saved the lives of countless cats.” Dr. Conrad and her team actively advocate for campaigns to legally ban declawing at the community and state level. Please visit pawproject.org to stay up-to-date on the latest news regarding the anti-declaw movement.
- Click here to read VCA’s full anti-declawing policy
- Click here to read Banfield’s anti-declawing policy
The only thing I have to say, besides, “BRAVO!” is “WTH took you so long???” but of course, celebrating the good news, and praying it becomes nationwide, global, and all-encompassing. Been fighting for this for yonks, as I’m sure you have, too.
As a volunteer at a humane society, I have seen first hand how declawing adversely affects a cat. They quit using the litter box because the litter hurts. They are in pain. They have lost their defense system so, they bite. This absolutely needs to be banned world wide.
This is such lovely news! We are happy to provide support to any Banfield or VCA clients or clinicians who need support in the transition.
Yippee!!! That is fabulous!
Cats need their claws for safe themselves and kittens. They use the claws for hunting food and climbing. Why put the cats though pain.
It is about time! BRAVO!
I am so happy to hear this! Check out my latest episode on YouTube – it’s all about this topic: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydEMyMZ1cqA&t=5s
Yay!
Absolutely the right thing to do! I am so elated that both of these gigantic corps have joined together to stop this barbaric and horrible surgery. I have an entirely new opinion of these clinics now, and my sincere hope is that they have started the revolution to cease this surgery to many more clinics both private and corp. Thank you from my heart