LIVE: Laws on Claws
ST. PAUL — There could be a new law on claws soon in Minnesota.
That’s after a bill was introduced at the state legislature that would outlaw declawing pet cats.
It reflects a trend of outlawing the pet surgery that a number of other jurisdictions have passed across the country, including the states of New York and Maryland.H
Other nations, including many European countries, Turkey, and Australia also have bans or restrictions on the practice.
The Minnesota bill classifies the practice as animal cruelty.
In the surgery, a veterinarian amputates the bones, ligaments and tendons down to the first knuckle of each of the cat’s toes.
This forces the animal to walk on stumps the rest of its life.
Many cat specialists say it sets cats up for a lifetime of pain, and can lead to bigger behavioral problems than scratching.
Amy Kracht works at Minn-kota PAAWS, a Fargo-based nonprofits that works to spay and neuter pets at low cost, with the aim of cutting down on the number of unwanted pets in the region.
She joined the Morning Show to talk about why she’s not a fan of the practice, and what the consequences of declawing can be for cats and their owners.
For more information:
https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/text.php?number=HF1857&version=latest&session=94&session_number=0&session_year=2025
