Veterinarian

Seminole County, Florida, is considering an ordinance that would prohibit elective cat declawing, allowing the procedure only when medically necessary to treat an injury or condition. The county's Animal Control Board took up the proposal at a meeting Thursday and has backed the changes; a recommendation now moves to the County Commission, which holds final authority.

Declawing, or onychectomy, removes the end bone of a cat's toes rather than just the claw, and advocates say it can cause lasting pain and balance problems. Jenna Delgado of T.E.A.R.S. of Seminole County, a rescue group that handles roughly a quarter of adoptions from Seminole County Animal Services, said declawed cats are often harder to place in homes. If adopted, Seminole would become the second Florida county, after Volusia, to ban the elective procedure.