The declawing of cats would be discouraged as an elective procedure but not outright opposed under a policy revision scheduled for consideration by the American Veterinary Medical Association’s House of Delegates.
AVMA policy now “strongly encourages” veterinarians to educate clients about the potential risks of an onychectomy and why scratching is a normal feline behavior. The decision to proceed with declaw surgery is left to pet owners “in consultation with their veterinarian.”
The updated policy, according to wording submitted by the AVMA board of directors, “discourages the declawing of cats as an elective procedure and supports non-surgical alternatives to the procedure.”
If approved at the governing body’s Jan. 11 meeting, the policy would stop short of opposing onychectomies, a position already taken by the American Animal Hospital Association and the American Association of Feline Practitioners.
The American Animal Hospital Association “strongly opposes the declawing of domestic cats and supports veterinarians’ efforts to educate cat owners and provide them with effective alternatives,” according to its policy.
Similarly, the American Association of Feline Practitioners “strongly opposes declawing as an elective procedure.”
“It is the obligation of veterinarians to provide cat owners with alternatives to declawing,” the AAFP policy continues. “If owners are considering declawing, they must be provided with complete education about feline declawing.”
The declawing of cats is controversial. The procedure is banned in numerous U.S. cities and New York State and across much of Canada.
AVMA policies are reviewed every five years. The declaw policy was reevaluated by the Animal Welfare Committee.
“The proposed revision simplifies AVMA’s position on onychectomy,” according to a statement appended to the resolution. “Great care was taken to balance the fact that elective onychectomy does not directly benefit the cat and the reality that there are rare circumstances where declawing may be a valid option after alternative interventions have failed.
“The [Animal Welfare Committee] concluded that AVMA could discourage the routine use of declawing to manage undesirable scratching while protecting the professional judgment of veterinarians.”
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