STATE HOUSE – Rhode Island will soon join the many places that prohibit the declawing of cats under newly enacted legislation sponsored by Sen. Melissa A. Murray, a Democrat representing District 24 in Woonsocket and North Smithfield, and Rep. William O’Brien, a Democrat representing District 54 in North Providence.
The legislation – 2025-S 0180A, 2025-H 5668 – which takes effect Sept. 1, will make it illegal for any person to perform surgical claw removal, declawing or a tendonectomy on any cat or otherwise alter a cat’s toes, claws or paws to prevent or impair normal function. The bill provides an exception if the procedure is medically necessary to address an illness, infection, disease, injury or abnormal condition that compromises the cat’s health. Violators could face veterinary license suspension or revocation.
The bill was approved by lawmakers June 18 and passed into law without the governor’s signature today.
“Declawing is painful, unnecessary and inhumane. It’s no way to treat any pet,” said Murray. “Fortunately, there has been growing awareness of the risks and cruelty of declawing. Our state must recognize that declawing is animal abuse and prohibit it altogether.”
“Mutilating a defenseless cat for any reason other than medical necessity is simply wrong and has no place in civilized society,” said O’Brien. “This barbaric practice has been outlawed in many other states and countries, and it’s time for Rhode Island to do the right thing and protect our feline friends.”
Onychectomy, or declawing, is not merely a permanent nail clipping. It is the amputation of the final bone in each of an animal’s toes. It can cause infection, paw pain, nerve damage, lameness and back pain, and has been shown to increase the risks for biting, aggression and house soiling among cats.
Proponents note that cats’ claws are integral to their natural behaviors, including stretching and playing, and for that reason, many veterinarians will not perform onychectomies. There are simpler and safer alternatives to discourage cats from scratching furniture or people, most notably providing them with a scratching post or other appropriate scratching material.
Rhode Island already prohibited landlords from requiring tenants’ cats to be declawed. Federal housing laws prohibit such conditions in public housing nationwide.
According to People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, declawing is banned in at least 38 countries, including almost all of western Europe. Earlier this year Massachusetts joined New York, Virginia, Maryland and Washington, D.C., in banning the practice, and numerous cities around the country have local bans. The Humane Society Veterinary Medical Association, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and the Animal Legal Defense Legislative Fund, as well as numerous other animal protection organizations, support the legislation.
