HOUSE BILL NO. 5209

November 04, 2025, Introduced by Reps. Wilson, Wegela, Conlin, Breen, Price, Morgan, Tsernoglou, Pohutsky, Byrnes, Brixie, Rheingans, Martus, Weiss, Aragona and Young and referred to Committee on Agriculture.

A bill to amend 1978 PA 368, entitled

"Public health code,"

(MCL 333.1101 to 333.25211) by adding section 18830.

the people of the state of michigan enact:

Sec. 18830. (1) A licensee shall not perform by any means any of the following on a cat, unless the procedure is necessary to address a therapeutic purpose:

(a) An onychectomy.

(b) A partial or complete phalangectomy.

(c) A tendonectomy procedure.

(d) Any other surgical procedure that prevents normal functioning of the claws, toes, or paws of the cat.

(2) As used in this section:

(a) "Cat" means a domestic cat of the species Felis catus or a hybrid of that species. Cat includes, but is not limited to, a savannah cat, Serengeti cat, Maine coon, Bengal cat, or chausie.

(b) "Therapeutic purpose" means a physical medical condition of a cat, including, but not limited to, an existing or recurring illness, infection, disease, injury, or abnormal condition in the claw of a cat that compromises the cat's health. Therapeutic purpose does not include a cosmetic or aesthetic reason or a reason of convenience in keeping or handling a cat.