Download the PDF on declawing & healthy scratching.

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Declawing is banned in over 40 countries as a form of animal abuse. In 2017, the Ontario Veterinary Medical Association (OVMA) issued its position that it “opposes elective and non-therapeutic Partial Digital Amputation (PDA), commonly known as declawing.” 

 

However, as of 2025, the OVMA has not banned declawing, and Ontario remains the last province in Canada where declawing is not illegal or banned. Contact your MPP to advocate for legislation to ban declawing in Ontario! 

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What is declawing exactly?

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Declawing, or “onychectomy,” is an amputation of the end bones of cat’s toes and is a major surgery. This is the equivalent of a human losing the top of each finger at the first knuckle.

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What are the risks of declawing?

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Unlike most animals that walk on the soles of their paws, cats walk on their toes. This means declawed cats often have trouble walking or exercising properly because they have lost bones, tendons, and ligaments in their feet. Recovery from declawing can be painful for cats — some cats never walk properly again, develop arthritis or bad posture, and declawed cats are three times more likely to be diagnosed with back pain.

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Declawing also results in emotional and psychological effects as they develop negative behaviours. For humans, that means you may be exchanging one negative behaviour — scratching furniture — for others.

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Research* has shown that declawed cats are:

• Seven times more likely to not use the litter box properly

• Four times more likely to bite

• Three times more likely to be aggressive

• Three times more likely to overgroom

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Scratching behaviour in cats is normal and healthy. Learn more about how to train your kitty not to scratch your couch!

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*Nicole K Martell-Moran, Mauricio Solano, Hugh GG Townsend. Pain and adverse behavior in declawed cats. Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, 2017.