,,iv #aaith ,,congress #b;d ,session ,h4 ,,res4 #ihe ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,january #i1 #bjbf ,mr4 ,nadler 7for himself1 ,mr4 ,carson1 ,mr4 ,cleaver1 ,ms4 ,dean of ,pennsylvania1 ,ms4 ,dexter1 ,ms4 ,jayapal1 ,mr4 ,johnson of ,georgia1 ,mr4 ,krishnamoorthi1 ,mr4 ,lieu1 ,ms4 ,lofgren1 ,ms4 ,norton1 ,mr4 ,quigley1 ,ms4 ,rivas1 ,ms4 ,simon1 ,mr4 ,soto1 ,ms4 ,titus1 ,ms4 ,tlaib1 and ,mr4 ,vindman7 submitted the following resolution2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,agriculture ,,resolution ,expressing opposition to the use of onychectomy1 also known as declawing1 for elective surgery in cats4 ,whereas over #dj1jjj1jjj households in the ,united ,states have a cat or cats1 and research shows that cats can improve psychological health1 offer emotional support1 and enhance quality of life2 ,whereas scratching is a normal1 instinctive cat behavior done by cats to mark objects with visual cues and their scent1 exercise muscles1 relieve stress1 express emotions1 and manage claw health2 ,whereas onychectomy1 also known as declawing1 is a serious medical procedure in which a cat's third phalanges and claws are surgically removed2 ,whereas tendonectomy1 often considered an alternative to onychectomy1 cuts the tendons on each toe to prevent grasping motions1 disabling normal function of their claws2 ,whereas these are painful procedures1 preventing a cat from being able to use their claws and leaving them unable to properly scratch1 affecting their balance1 and rendering them unable to effectively defend themselves or fully express normal behaviors2 ,whereas there is ample evidence that links onychectomy and tendonectomy to life-long pain and adverse and long-lasting physical and behavioral effects on cats and that complications from these surgeries can include nerve damage1 lameness1 chronic pain1 litter box aversion1 and permanent disability2 ,whereas1 for purposes of this resolution1 the term 8declawing0 includes onychectomy and any surgical1 chemical1 or mechanical procedure that removes1 severs1 alters1 or otherwise disables a cat's claws or the normal function of the claw1 including through modification of tendons1 ligaments1 or other anatomical structures1 but not including trimming the nonviable tips of the claws or placing temporary nail caps2 ,whereas tendonectomy is one example of a procedure used to disable a cat's claws by altering paw function1 often described as an alternative to onychectomy2 ,whereas declawing as an elective surgery unnecessarily increases public health and safety risks as declawed cats become more prone to biting as a form of defense1 leading to increased chance of infection for humans2 ,whereas there is no evidence that declawing reduces the number of cats surrendered to shelters2 ,whereas the behavioral implications1 such as problems with litterbox use and biting1 are common reasons cats are surrendered2 ,whereas there are many humane alternatives to address and coexist with scratching behaviors that involve no physical harm to the cat2 ,whereas there is widespread support for outlawing this practice1 including from the ,centers for ,disease ,control and ,prevention1 the ,international ,society of ,feline ,medicine1 and the ,american ,association of ,feline ,practitioners2 ,whereas the ,centers for ,disease ,control1 ,,us ,public ,health1 ,national ,institutes of ,health1 and ,infectious ,diseases ,society of ,america have a joint position statement avowing declawing as unnecessary to protect human health2 ,whereas many countries have banned elective onychectomies by law1 and in others the practice is considered unethical and prohibited under veterinary professional standards1 including ,australia1 ,austria1 ,belgium1 ,bosnia and ,herzegovina1 ,brazil1 ,bulgaria1 ,cyprus1 ,czech ,republic1 ,denmark1 ,england1 ,finland1 ,france1 ,germany1 ,greece1 ,ireland1 ,israel1 ,italy1 ,latvia1 ,lithuania1 ,luxembourg1 ,macedonia1 ,malta1 ,montenegro1 ,netherlands1 ,new ,zealand1 ,northern ,ireland1 ,norway1 ,portugal1 ,romania1 ,scotland1 ,serbia1 ,slovenia1 ,spain1 ,sweden1 ,switzerland1 ,turkey1 ,ukraine1 and ,wales2 ,whereas1 in ,canada1 declawing is outlawed in #i of the #aj provinces2 ,whereas multiple ,states1 including ,new ,york1 ,maryland1 ,virginia1 ,massachusetts1 ,rhode ,island1 and ,california1 have banned onychectomies and tendonectomies as elective procedures2 ,whereas several other ,states have introduced legislation but have yet to codify the bans into law2 ,whereas a number of municipalities have implemented bans or passed resolutions opposing this practice1 including ,malibu1 ,marin ,county1 and ,ojai1 ,california2 ,denver1 ,colorado2 ,washington1 ,district of ,columbia2 ,volusia ,county1 ,florida2 ,buffalo ,grove1 ,downers ,grove1 and ,evanston1 ,illinois2 the ,city of ,st4 ,louis and ,st4 ,louis ,county1 ,missouri2 ,allentown1 ,easton1 ,forks ,township1 and ,pittsburgh1 ,pennsylvania2 ,austin1 ,texas2 ,tacoma1 ,washington2 and ,madison1 ,wisconsin2 ,whereas it is also outlawed in #h ,california cities1 including ,berkeley1 ,beverly ,hills1 ,burbank1 ,culver ,city1 ,los ,angeles1 ,san ,francisco1 ,santa ,monica1 and ,west ,hollywood2 ,whereas recognizing that the elective practice of onychectomy or tendonectomy is inhumane1 and such recognition is an important step forward in prioritizing animal welfare in the ,united ,states3 ,now1 therefore1 be it ,that the ,house of ,representatives-- 7#a7 opposes declawing1 as defined in this resolution1 when performed for cosmetic or aesthetic purposes1 or for reasons of convenience in keeping or handling a cat1 and encourages veterinary professionals to discourage the practice with vigor2 7#b7 recognizes that these practices should only be performed when medically necessary for a therapeutic purpose for the physical health of the cat1 meaning a medically necessary procedure to address an existing or recurring anatomical pathology issue such as infection1 disease1 injury1 or abnormal condition in the claws1 nail bed1 or toe bone that jeopardizes the cat's health1 and not for the purpose of convenience1 property protection1 or behavioral modification2 7#c7 urges ,state legislatures that have not yet banned onychectomy 7declawing7 and tendonectomy for elective reasons to consider this on the grounds of animal welfare and public health2 and 7#d7 affirms the commitment of the ,united ,states to advancing the cause of animal protection and animal welfare4