[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 985 Introduced in House (IH)]
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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. RES. 985
Expressing opposition to the use of onychectomy, also known as
declawing, for elective surgery in cats.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
January 9, 2026
Mr. Nadler (for himself, Mr. Carson, Mr. Cleaver, Ms. Dean of
Pennsylvania, Ms. Dexter, Ms. Jayapal, Mr. Johnson of Georgia, Mr.
Krishnamoorthi, Mr. Lieu, Ms. Lofgren, Ms. Norton, Mr. Quigley, Ms.
Rivas, Ms. Simon, Mr. Soto, Ms. Titus, Ms. Tlaib, and Mr. Vindman)
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee
on Agriculture
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Expressing opposition to the use of onychectomy, also known as
declawing, for elective surgery in cats.
Whereas over 40,000,000 households in the United States have a cat or cats, and
research shows that cats can improve psychological health, offer
emotional support, and enhance quality of life;
Whereas scratching is a normal, instinctive cat behavior done by cats to mark
objects with visual cues and their scent, exercise muscles, relieve
stress, express emotions, and manage claw health;
Whereas onychectomy, also known as declawing, is a serious medical procedure in
which a cat's third phalanges and claws are surgically removed;
Whereas tendonectomy, often considered an alternative to onychectomy, cuts the
tendons on each toe to prevent grasping motions, disabling normal
function of their claws;
Whereas these are painful procedures, preventing a cat from being able to use
their claws and leaving them unable to properly scratch, affecting their
balance, and rendering them unable to effectively defend themselves or
fully express normal behaviors;
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
damage, lameness, chronic pain, litter box aversion, and permanent
disability;
Whereas, for purposes of this resolution, the term ``declawing'' includes
onychectomy and any surgical, chemical, or mechanical procedure that
removes, severs, alters, or otherwise disables a cat's claws or the
normal function of the claw, including through modification of tendons,
ligaments, or other anatomical structures, but not including trimming
the nonviable tips of the claws or placing temporary nail caps;
Whereas tendonectomy is one example of a procedure used to disable a cat's claws
by altering paw function, often described as an alternative to
onychectomy;
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 defense, leading to increased chance of infection for humans;
Whereas there is no evidence that declawing reduces the number of cats
surrendered to shelters;
Whereas the behavioral implications, such as problems with litterbox use and
biting, are common reasons cats are surrendered;
Whereas there are many humane alternatives to address and coexist with
scratching behaviors that involve no physical harm to the cat;
Whereas there is widespread support for outlawing this practice, including from
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the International
Society of Feline Medicine, and the American Association of Feline
Practitioners;
Whereas the Centers for Disease Control, US Public Health, National Institutes
of Health, and Infectious Diseases Society of America have a joint
position statement avowing declawing as unnecessary to protect human
health;
Whereas many countries have banned elective onychectomies by law, and in others
the practice is considered unethical and prohibited under veterinary
professional standards, including Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia
and Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark,
England, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Israel, Italy,
Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malta, Montenegro,
Netherlands, New Zealand, Northern Ireland, Norway, Portugal, Romania,
Scotland, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine,
and Wales;
Whereas, in Canada, declawing is outlawed in 9 of the 10 provinces;
Whereas multiple States, including New York, Maryland, Virginia, Massachusetts,
Rhode Island, and California, have banned onychectomies and
tendonectomies as elective procedures;
Whereas several other States have introduced legislation but have yet to codify
the bans into law;
Whereas a number of municipalities have implemented bans or passed resolutions
opposing this practice, including Malibu, Marin County, and Ojai,
California; Denver, Colorado; Washington, District of Columbia; Volusia
County, Florida; Buffalo Grove, Downers Grove, and Evanston, Illinois;
the City of St. Louis and St. Louis County, Missouri; Allentown, Easton,
Forks Township, and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Austin, Texas; Tacoma,
Washington; and Madison, Wisconsin;
Whereas it is also outlawed in 8 California cities, including Berkeley, Beverly
Hills, Burbank, Culver City, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Santa Monica,
and West Hollywood;
Whereas recognizing that the elective practice of onychectomy or tendonectomy is
inhumane, and such recognition is an important step forward in
prioritizing animal welfare in the United States: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) opposes declawing, as defined in this resolution, when
performed for cosmetic or aesthetic purposes, or for reasons of
convenience in keeping or handling a cat, and encourages
veterinary professionals to discourage the practice with vigor;
(2) recognizes that these practices should only be
performed when medically necessary for a therapeutic purpose
for the physical health of the cat, meaning a medically
necessary procedure to address an existing or recurring
anatomical pathology issue such as infection, disease, injury,
or abnormal condition in the claws, nail bed, or toe bone that
jeopardizes the cat's health, and not for the purpose of
convenience, property protection, or behavioral modification;
(3) urges State legislatures that have not yet banned
onychectomy (declawing) and tendonectomy for elective reasons
to consider this on the grounds of animal welfare and public
health; and
(4) affirms the commitment of the United States to
advancing the cause of animal protection and animal welfare.
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