AUSTIN, Texas – A proposed ordinance could ban the declawing of cats in the City of Austin.

The proposal was discussed by the Austin Animal Advisory Committee on Monday.

The team drafted the potential language for the ordinance to prohibit onychectomy,the medical term for the declawing procedure. Declawed cats undergo a phalangectomy or tendonectomy, which surgically removes the last bone of each toe.

According to the Humane Society, it is an unnecessary procedure that does not benefit the cat. It is also considered to be very painful for the animal and can lead to nerve damage. 

The drafted ordinance would only allow for declawing if it classifies as a therapeutic purpose. This would mean that only cats with an injury, illness, or infection that compromises the animal’s health could undergo the procedure.

Anyone who violates the ordinance would face a civil penalty and have to pay a fine, the amount of which has yet to be determined.

It is unclear when the ordinance will be up for debate again after the commission canceled their November meeting for a city holiday.