B.C. joins Nova Scotia in banning ‘ethically problematic’ cat declawing

VANCOUVER — The practice of declawing a cat is now banned in British Columbia.

The College of Veterinarians of B.C. says the new standard was implemented Tuesday after it researched other jurisdictions and consulted with provincial vets.

It says in a news release that declawing is “ethically problematic” and not an appropriate way to deal with cat behaviour issues.

College registrar and CEO Luisa Hlus says there is consensus among the public and the profession that declawing cats is inhumane and ethically unacceptable, similar to the outdated practices of tail docking and ear cropping.

The group has the power to investigate and impose disciplinary action on veterinarians who ignore the new standard.

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The college says some medical conditions may necessitate partial or full amputations as part of declawing and those procedures will be allowed to continue.

It says Nova Scotia is the only other province to ban declawing, but the practice is also not permitted in Australia, New Zealand, Israel, Brazil, the United Kingdom, parts of Europe and some cities in California.

The Canadian Press

Note to readers: This is a corrected story. A previous version misspelled the name of Luisa Hlus.