Ban on declawing cats considered in New York
ALBANY, N.Y. – New York would be the first state to ban the declawing of cats under a legislative proposal that has divided veterinarians.
Several vets supportive of a ban lobbied lawmakers at the state Capitol Tuesday. They say the procedure, which involves cutting through bone, tendon and nerves to amputate the first segment of a cat’s toes, is unnecessary and cruel.
But the state’s Veterinary Medical Society opposes prohibition, saying the procedure saves cats with scratching behavior from being euthanized. They say declawing is a decision best left to cat owners and veterinarians and not lawmakers.
The bill is before both the Senate and Assembly but no vote has been scheduled. Assembly sponsor Linda Rosenthal, a Manhattan Democrat, says support is growing as more cat owners learn the details of the procedure.