Ozzy Osbourne has lent his name to a campaign that draws attention to the practice of cat declawing. The campaign comes from PETA (People For The Ethical Treatment Of Animals).
"Amputating a cat’s toes is twisted and wrong," says Ozzy. "If your couch is more important to you than your cat’s health and happiness, you don’t deserve to have an animal! Get cats a scratching post – don’t mutilate them for life."
While many countries – including The UK, Australia, and Japan – have effectively banned the procedure, it is still fairly common in The US, where studies suggest that between 20% and 25% of pet cats in the US have been declawed.
Last year, New York became the first state to bar the practice after Governor Andrew M. Cuomo signed anti-declawing legislation into law.
"Declawing is a cruel and painful procedure that can create physical and behavioural problems for helpless animals, and today it stops," Governor Cuomo said. "By banning this archaic practice, we will ensure that animals are no longer subjected to these inhumane and unnecessary procedures."
Declawing involves the removal of all or most of the last bone of each of the toes of the cat's front feet. At the same time the tendons, nerves and ligaments that allow the paws to function are severed, often resulting in chronic pain and other serious medical or behavioural issues.
Ozzy is preparing to release his new studio album Ordinary Man, which is set to arrive on February 21 via Epic Records. He’s already shared the tracks Under The Graveyard, Straight To Hell and the title track, which features Elton John on vocals and piano.
The former Black Sabbath frontman’s rescheduled No More Tours 2 dates will get under way in Atlanta on May 27, while Ozzy's other live dates can be found on his Facebook page.
