Massachusetts Bans Cat Declawing Thanks to New Bedford Senator

BOSTON (WBSM) — Thanks to the years-long effort of New Bedford State Senator Mark Montigny, it is now illegal in Massachusetts to declaw a cat.

The legislation, first introduced by Montigny in 2019, was signed into law by Governor Maura Healey on Thursday.

The law prohibits declawing and tendonectomy, unless it is a medical necessity.

“Declawing a cat involves amputating the last bone of each toe, which if performed on a human would be equivalent to cutting off each finger at the last knuckle,” Montigny’s office said in a release.

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Montigny himself called declawing “abhorrent.”

“Declawing is an abhorrent practice that most veterinarians view as inhumane,” he said. “But it is also a procedure that is widely misunderstood and requested by owners. This law ensures that veterinarians will no longer have to weigh the choice of providing the procedure, knowing that if they don’t, an owner is likely to just look for someone who will.”

Declawed cats suffer from both acute and chronic pain as a result of the procedure, and it can lead to behavioral side effects like biting and going to the bathroom outside of the litter box.

“Declawing of cats does not improve the human-animal bond and often results in serious medical and behavioral problems,” Allison Blanck, Director of Advocacy at the Animal Rescue League of Boston, said in the release. “Banning this cruel practice, which is in essence amputation, will prevent animals in Massachusetts from needless pain and suffering.”

Montigny has long championed efforts to protect animals, including laws that have restricted dog tethering, prohibited leaving dogs outside during extreme weather conditions, and allowing for breaking into vehicles to rescue animals locked in cars.

He’s also fought for stricter penalties for animal cruelty and abuse.

“As a state we have done far too little to punish heartless abusers and to push back against a weak court system that has too often failed to hold them accountable,” Montigny said. “There are too many people who have committed horrendous abuses to animals that have been unpunished and are walking free to continue to do harm.”

Montigny was recently named Dean of the Senate as the longest-tenured member of the chamber, having served since 1993.

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