Ohio lawmakers have their claws out — introducing a bipartisan bill to make it illegal to declaw a cat.

Ohio

Lawmakers in Ohio are considering a bipartisan bill that would make it illegal to declaw cats, except in cases where the procedure is deemed necessary for the animal's health. The proposed legislation responds to concerns from veterinarians and animal advocates about the potential for chronic pain, behavioral issues, and loss of natural defenses in declawed cats. 

Supporters of the bill argue that alternatives such as scratch pads and regular nail clipping can address concerns about property damage without harming pets. Opponents worry that some cats may be less likely to be adopted if declawing is not an option. Violations of the proposed law could result in significant fines, and the bill is expected to be reviewed by Ohio lawmakers soon.

Claws out: Ohio lawmakers move to ban cat declawing

There's a push to protect the paws in Columbus tonight with a bill that would make a common procedure illegal in Ohio. We have our Columbus Bureau reporter Morgan Trouw and her cat Jynx live with us tonight to explain. Hi Morgan, hi Jynxy cat. Jynxy cat, how are you? Oh, he's good. He's just hanging out right now, you know. He's pretty big. Oh my goodness. He's 20 pounds. So, not thrilled right now. However, see his paws? That's what we're talking about today. So, right now we are looking at possibly protecting cats from getting declawed, or at least that's what lawmakers say. Other people say that they're necessary. It sounds like he's starting up a Harley Davidson. Alcatrona just perfected his family. I just recently adopted Archie. I'm happy and it's been exciting to have him in my life. His new cat has quickly become his best friend. And as many cat companions know, they use their paws and their claws to play, to fight, and to make biscuits. And veterinarian Dr. Aziza Glass explains that claws are part of cats' fingers. And they can be sharp. But not all cats have them. Declawing is the process of removing the claw or essentially the nail of the fingers, the digits, the toes. She says taking away claws can, but not always, cause chronic pain and health problems, behavioral issues, and the inability to run, jump, or climb. Basically sadistic it is. And so I thought, why the heck do we even allow that in the state of Ohio? Catrona is also a Republican state senator in Ohio and put forward a bipartisan bill that would ban declawing of cats. Violations could lead to thousands of dollars in fines. But there's carve-outs in the bill if the cat needs their claws removed for their overall health. And some people want cats that are declawed because they're afraid of the damage to furniture or children. Veterinarian Dr. Sarah Wallace says cats might not get adopted or returned if they're not declawed. Cats specifically that like to paw on their furniture are on the corner of couches. It can sometimes be so irritating that owners actually consider rehoming or giving up their cat. Catrona understands the concern, but says that furniture getting scratched isn't worth harming your pets or possibly losing them. There's a lot of things that people can do with it, whether it's scratch pads, clipping their nails. Cats are more likely to get out of the house, to be out and about, and you're essentially taking away the only form of defense that they have. So Jinx is a little bit shy, as you can probably tell. So he's not very outdoorsy, but he does like to climb on scratching posts. This bill will be heard in the coming weeks. I'm Morgan. This is Jinx Trau in the Columbus Bureau. Are you sure Jinx isn't a panther? My goodness, Jinx is eating. He's a baby panther. I mean, I wish he would go on TV more, but maybe we'll get him used to it. I don't think Jinx wants to go back on TV, Morgan. I think he said, Mom, I'm a behind-the-scenes kind of guy, okay? I think we're okay right now. We're lucky things didn't go south a lot sooner than now. Jinx is beautiful, though, really. Yeah. Love seeing you and Jinx, Morgan. Thank you so much. Good night.

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