Could Declawing Cats Soon Be Banned In North Dakota?

Tons of North Dakotans have pets; we love them like family. That said, some of us have differing opinions on how we should treat and train them. I went to the pet store the other day to get my cat some cat food. I make this special trip to Petco every couple of weeks, because this particular brand of cat food is only sold at Petco, and of course, I spoil my cat.

Anyway, I overheard some women talking about how they thought cat declawing was "barbaric." You probably have heard many people say they've gotten their cats declawed, but that practice has become less and less popular over the years.

What Is Cat Declawing?

HumaneWorld.org, claims that declawing is actually bad for your cat.

First, so you know what it is, cat declawing, according to the source, is when you amputate the last bone of each toe on a cat. Typically, pet owners do not declaw the back paws, just the front.

For a long time, many cat owners didn't know that declawing meant you had to amputate bones. They simply thought it was claw removal, without doing too much digging into what that meant. The source says this is bad for your cat because it can cause back pain, litter box aversion, and biting.

A cat also relies on those front claws for balance and the ability to jump and land properly.

Banning Declawing

Dozens of countries around the world have banned declawing, and some states in the U.S. have also chosen to do this. Those states include: New York, Maryland, Virginia, and Massachusetts.

(Also See: Did You Know North Dakota Has 4 Different State Animals?)

While some think this needs to be illegal across all fifty states, others say they do this to protect their young children from getting scratched and to help keep their furniture intact. Do you think North Dakota should ban cat declawing? Send us a message in the app.

Now, let's take a look at some of the cutest pets in Bismarck-Mandan!