To: Pittsburgh City Council, Darlene Harris, Natalaia Rudiak, and Bruce Kraus

Ban Declawing of Cats in Pittsburgh

Declawing of cats is a horrible form of animal abuse and causes serious harm to the physical, behavioral and mental well being of cats.

Why is this important?

After watching the Paw Project I had no idea how senseless and cruel this procedure was. I feel this should be an easy ban because it is 100% wrong and the only remote benefit is saving your furniture and to a lesser degree is a source of income for vets.

Facts about declawing:

Declawing is amputation; it is not merely the removal of the claws. To declaw a cat, the veterinarian cuts off the last knuckles of a cat's paw – cutting through bone, tendons, skin and nerves. In a person, it is equivalent to amputating each finger or toe at the last joint.

Declaw surgery can be an extremely painful procedure with associated health risks and complications such as infection.

Declaw surgery can produce permanent lameness, pain or arthritis.

Declawing is the same mutilating procedure for house cats or big cats.

There are effective alternatives to declawing

Please help Pittsburgh to be the first city on the east coast to stop this cruel and pointless pet torture!