Cat declawing ‘ethically problematic’ and now banned in B.C.

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 means of dealing with cat behaviour issues.

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is consensus among the public and profession that declawing cats is inhumane and ethically unacceptable, similar to the outdated practices of tail docking and ear cropping.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

The college says there are a number of medical conditions that may necessitate partial or full amputations and those procedures will be allowed to continue.

It says Nova Scotia is the only other Canadian province to ban declawing, but the practice is also banned in Australia, New Zealand, Israel, Brazil, the United Kingdom, parts of Europe and some cities in California.