Feral Cats and TNR:

A feral cat is one who is born and grows up without human interaction. Ferals often live in colonies, in locations where they can find food and shelter. Ferals differ from strays. Strays are cats who are abandoned by a human and they do not live in a colony with other ferals.TNR is a humane method to help control feral cat colonies. A feral colony can live happily and comfortably with the help of TNR and regular feedings from volunteers.

Review the ASPCA’s extensive information on ferals and TNR program.

Declawing:

While several cities around the U.S. have a declaw ban in place, Maryland is only the second state to ban the procedure. New York became the first in 2019. The law prohibits any veterinary practitioners from performing declawing procedures on a cat unless the procedure is “necessary for a therapeutic purpose.”Apr 22, 2022 WTOC

According to the Humane Society of the United States, declawing is an inhumane practice that involves the amputation of the last bone of each toe, which would be equivalent to removing a human’s fingers at the last knuckle.

“Too often, people think that declawing is a simple surgery that removes a cat’s nails—the equivalent of having your fingernails trimmed. Sadly, this is far from the truth,” the Humane Society’s website reads. “It is an unnecessary surgery that provides no medical benefit to the cat. Educated pet parents can easily train their cats to use their claws in a manner that allows everyone in the household to live together happily.”

The new law in Maryland takes effect Oct. 1, 2022

At least 42 countries have made declawing illegal, including England, France, Wales, New Zealand, Germany, Switzerland, and Israel. In Canada, declawing is outlawed in eight provinces.