A New Bill Would Ban Declawing Cats in Michigan

The mitten would be the second state in the nation to pass the law.

State Rep. Nate Shannon and 20 other legislators in Lansing have introduced a bill that would ban declawing cats in our state. The only other state with the ban at this time is New York.

It reads:

"An individual shall not perform by any means an onychectomy, a partial or complete phalangectomy, or a tendonectomy procedure, or any other surgical procedure that prevents normal functioning of the claws, on a cat in this state, unless the procedure is necessary for a therapeutic purpose."

The therapeutic statute would be in regards to pain relief for the animal and NOT cosmetic purposes. Fines could be up to $1,000.