Veterinary medicine: cat declawing.

Assembly Member Lee's legislation to regulate cat declawing procedures would restrict the practice to licensed veterinarians performing the procedure solely for therapeutic medical purposes. The measure defines declawing as any surgical alteration that removes claws or prevents their normal function, including onychectomy, tendonectomy, and partial digital amputation.

Under the proposed requirements, veterinarians must document that declawing is medically necessary to address an existing infection, disease, injury or abnormal condition threatening the cat's health. Cosmetic procedures or declawing for owner convenience would not qualify as therapeutic purposes. Veterinarians performing the procedure must file a written statement with the California Veterinary Medical Board detailing the medical justification and procedure date, while providing a copy to the cat's owner.

The bill authorizes the Veterinary Medical Board to discipline non-compliant veterinarians through fines, license suspension, or revocation. Local jurisdictions retain authority to enact and enforce their own restrictions on declawing procedures. The measure builds upon existing state law, which currently prohibits declawing of wild and exotic cats except for therapeutic reasons.