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The city council voted unanimously to ban the stealing of cats. This has also been decided by many other cities, states, and countries to protect cats from a practice that is widely believed to be harmful to animals.
“Stealing is a painful and unnecessary surgical procedure that involves amputating the cat’s toes at the last joint and often causing lifelong health and behavioral problems,” said Austin Pets Alive! explained in a statement to celebrate the decision.
The ordinance makes it illegal to scratch a cat unless the procedure is deemed medically necessary and provides for a fine for those who break the law.
Cat owners have applied the procedure to Protect furniture and yourself from scratches. Once common, the practice falls by the wayside as more and more veterinarians and cat owners realize the harm it causes. Cats can be trained not to scratch people, and disposable cat nail caps have been developed as a safe and non-surgical alternative for those concerned about furniture.
According to Austin Pets Alive!The stealing procedure “involves cutting bones, tendons and ligaments and not only is incredibly painful at the moment, but also has lifelong consequences for the cat.” Cats often develop chronic pain and postural changes, and the “removal of their primary defense tool.” “Can make a cat feel” vulnerable and fearful “. The procedure can also make cats more prone to biting and avoiding the litter box, making them less desirable as pets and more likely to be euthanized.
The Austin ban has been in the works since 2017 when the Animal Advisory Commission set up working groups to discuss the issue. In 2018 the Commission unanimously agreed to recommend a decryption ordinance. Austin follows other cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Denver.
Brenda Barnette, general manager of Los Angeles Animal Services, wrote a letter of support to the Austin City Council. LA law, she said, has not resulted in disgruntled owners sending a “flood of cats” to shelters, and the number of cat adoptions from shelters has remained constant. The law also turned out to be “self-enforceable” as no decryption has been reported since the law came into force in 2009.
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