Declawing cats has been a controversial topic for some time.

The practice is already being banned in some places. It has been banned in the United Kingdom, Australia, some Californian cities and the majority of Europe.

Earlier this year Nova Scotia banned the procedure, and just recently British Columbia did too. This leads some to think that Saskatchewan's rules on the procedure may be changing soon.

Natalie Preikschat is a veterinarian and Co-owner of Bellamy Harrison Animal Hospital, and she says the surgery isn't exactly painless.

"It certainly is a painful procedure; certainly any surgery has a degree of pain, especially during recovery, and veterinarians who perform these surgeries will try to control pain to the best of our abilities. Most veterinaries will do nerve block and take home pain medication - that sort of thing for it."

You can avoid putting your cats through this kind of pain and Preikschat explained the simplest method.

"The most basic one is just a routine nail trims and claw trims, and they are very similar to a person cutting their own finger nails. It's not painful at all, and you would be just removing the sharp tip, and if the cat is ok with that it is obviously the most simple way."

The Saskatchewan Veterinary Medical Association still deems the practice acceptable for now.

"Each province has their own veterinary medical association that, with input from the members from that province, make that decision, and it has certainly been a topic of conversation. But as of this point in time, veterinarians in Saskatchewan can still perform the procedure," said Preikschat.

The procedure is still not banned in Saskatchewan, and the choice is currently in the hands of pet owners.