Many North Dakotans have pets, and there's no doubt that we love them dearly. That said, some of us have different opinions and feelings about the ways we treat them.

While I was at the pet store the other day, I overheard two women talking about how terrible they thought cat declawing was. They said it was "barbaric".

If you don't know anything about cat declawing, many people are making a push to ban this practice.

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You probably have heard many people say they've gotten their cats declawed, but that practice has become less and less popular over the years.

What Is Cat Declawing?

HumaneWorld.org, claims that declawing is actually bad for your cat.

First, so you know what it is, cat declawing, according to the source, is when you amputate the last bone of each toe on a cat. Typically, pet owners do not declaw the back paws, just the front.

For a long time, many cat owners didn't know that declawing meant you had to amputate bones. They simply thought it was claw removal, without doing too much digging into what that meant.

The source says this is bad for your cat because it can cause back pain, litter box aversion, and biting.

A cat also relies on those front claws for balance and the ability to jump and land properly.

Banning Declawing

Dozens of countries around the world have banned declawing, and some states in the U.S. have also chosen to do this. Those states include: New York, Maryland, Virginia, and Massachusetts.

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While some think this needs to be illegal across all fifty states, others say they do this to protect their young children from getting scratched and to help keep their furniture intact.

Do you think North Dakota should ban cat declawing? Send us a message in the app.

Now, let's take a look at some of the cutest pets in Bismarck-Mandan!


 

Bismarck-Mandan's Cutest Pets

Let's show some love for our furbabies!

LOOK: Can you tell the difference between these common pets?

Can you tell the difference between a hamster and a guinea pig? How about a betta and a guppy? Test your pet ID skills in our cute quiz. 

Gallery Credit: Stephen Lenz

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