Declawing cats

AN ACT Relating to prohibiting the act of declawing cats; adding 1
a new section to chapter 18.92 RCW; and prescribing penalties.2
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:3
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. A new section is added to chapter 18.92 4
RCW to read as follows: 5
(1) It is unlawful for any person engaged in the practice of 6
veterinary medicine to perform a declawing procedure on a cat, unless 7
necessary for a therapeutic purpose. 8
(2) A veterinarian who performs a declawing procedure on a cat 9
shall keep a record of the procedure for a period of four years after 10
the last contact with the cat. The record must be subject to audit by 11
the board. The record must include the name and address of the cat's 12
owner, the name and address of the person from whom payment is 13
received for the procedure, and a description of the cat including, 14
but not limited to: 15
(a) The cat's name, breed, date of birth, sex, color, markings, 16
and current weight; 17
(b) The date and time of the procedure; 18
(c) The reason the procedure was performed; and19
(d) Any diagnostic opinion, analysis, or test result to support 20
the diagnosis. 21
H-1206.1
HOUSE BILL 1904
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2025 Regular Session
By Representatives Peterson, Leavitt, Parshley, Fosse, and Macri
Read first time 02/10/25. Referred to Committee on Health Care &
Wellness.
p. 1 HB 1904
(3)(a) Any person who performs a declawing procedure on a cat 1
shall report the number of performed procedures to the board annually 2
no later than March 30th each year. The board shall maintain all 3
notices received under this subsection for four years from the date 4
of receipt. 5
(b) Records maintained under this subsection may not be publicly 6
disseminated and are not considered public records as defined in RCW 7
40.14.010. 8
(4)(a) Any person who performs a declawing procedure on a cat 9
within the state of Washington in violation of this section shall be 10
subject to a fine of not more than: 11
(i) $1,000 for a first offense; 12
(ii) $1,500 for a second offense; and 13
(iii) $2,500 for a third or subsequent offense.14
(b) A veterinarian licensed under this chapter who violates any 15
provision of this section may be subject to disciplinary action by 16
the board. 17
(5) This section preempts any ordinance regulating the practice 18
of declawing a cat enacted by a county, city, town, or other 19
political subdivision of this state. 20
(6) For the purposes of this section, the following definitions 21
apply: 22
(a) "Cat" means any domesticated species of the family Felidae 23
and does not include any wild or nonnative species of the family 24
Felidae. 25
(b)(i) "Declawing procedure" means: 26
(A) An onychectomy, a dactylectomy, a phalangectomy, or any other 27
procedure that removes a portion of the paw or digit of a cat in 28
order to remove a claw; 29
(B) A tendonectomy or any other procedure that cuts or modifies 30
the tendon of the limb, paw, or digit of a cat in order to prohibit 31
the normal movement of a claw; or 32
(C) Any procedure that prevents the normal functioning of one or 33
more claws of a cat. 34
(ii) "Declawing procedure" does not include nail filing, nail 35
trimming, or the placement of temporary nail caps on one or more 36
claws of a cat. 37
(c)(i) "Therapeutic purpose" means any action intended to address 38
as a matter of medical necessity an existing or recurring infection, 39
p. 2 HB 1904
disease, injury, or abnormal condition in the claw, nail bed, or toe 1
bone that jeopardizes the afflicted animal's health.2
(ii) "Therapeutic purpose" does not include any action performed 3
for cosmetic or aesthetic reasons or reasons of convenience in the 4
keeping or handling of an animal. 5
--- END ---
p. 3 HB 1904