New York Becomes First State To Ban Cat Declawing In The US

Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed a ban on declawing cats on Monday, making New York the first U.S. state to ban the practice along with several Canadian provinces, American cities, and the European Union, according to The Buffalo News.

Animal rights advocates have said the practice is cruel and amounts to torture for the animals so they celebrated Monday's signing of the New York ban and hoped it would create similar proposals across the U.S.

“This is a real triumph for cats and the people who love them,” said Assemblywoman Linda Rosenthal, D-Manhattan, who was behind pushing for the legislation.

“This has catapulted New York to a leadership position when it comes to cruelty against felines," Rosenthal said.

In order to declaw a cat, veterinarians slice through bone in order to amputate the first segment of a cat's toes.

The operation used to be frequently performed to help prevent humans from feline scratching but has come under scrutiny by many vets and animal welfare advocates in recent years.

The New York bill still allows veterinarians to perform the procedure for medical reasons, such as injury or infection.

Even though many individual vets told the legislators they supported the ban, the largest veterinary organization in the state, The New York State Veterinary Medical Society, said the ban should still be allowed as a last resort for cats that won't stop scratching furniture or humans.

Or if a cat's owner has a weakened immune system which puts them at an increased risk of infection from feline scratches.

“Medical decisions should be left to the sound discretion of fully trained, licensed and state-supervised professionals,” the society said in a memo opposing the legislation to the Associated Press.

The California-based Paw Project said it supported the ban on declawing being passed in New York and commended New Jersey, California, and Massachusetts for considering similar bills.

Estimates say nearly a quarter or more of all domestic cats in the U.S. have had the procedure.

“For a cat, declawing is both psychologically and physically harmful,” said Becky Robinson, president and founder of Alley Cat Allies, a Bethesda, Maryland-based organization. “The surgery is traumatic, and the resulting disfigurement causes severe pain.”

-WN.com, Maureen Foody