On April 8 the West Hollywood City Council voted 5-0 to prohibit cat declawing within city limits, becoming the first government entity anywhere in the United States to enact such a ban.
Of course the ban doesn’t prohibit declawed cats from living in West Hollywood, so it’s a matter of just making the drive into Los Angeles to have a cat declawed for those who want their pets to have the procedure (the city is just 1.9 square miles in size).
However, Former West Hollywood Mayor and current California State Assemblyman Paul Koretz promises to introduce a statewide ban into the Legislature sometime this year.
The Chicago Tribune picked up on the point that supporters of the ban likened cat declawing to mutilation, but apparently they don’t see any contradiction with the fact that the city not only allows but actively encourages spaying and neutering of cats (apparently some mutilations are more equal than other mutilations).
Sources:
West Hollywood keeps vets’ paws off cat claws. Vincent J. Schodolski, Chicago Tribune, May 8, 2003.
First cat declawing ban in North America goes into effect. KABC-TV, May 7, 2003.
West Hollywood outlaws declawing of cats. Clara Hall, Los Angeles Times, May 9, 2003.