New York is poised to become the first state to outlaw the practice of declawing cats, except in cases of medical necessity.
Efforts to ban the inhumane practice of declawing cats has been before lawmakers in New York state in the past and didn’t get passed. However, this time the bill passed by a wide margin.
New York’s largest veterinary association come out against the ban, saying the procedure should remain legal as a last resort for cats that won’t stop scratching furniture or people. However, the Humane Society, as well as many veterinarians and politicians are on board with this ban including Democratic Assemblywoman Linda Rosenthal, who sponsored the bill. She has condemned the invasive nature of declawing in a statement: “It is not like getting a mani/pedi,” she said. “It’s a brutal surgical procedure.”
Kitty is paw-sitively overjoyed that my bill to ban cat #declaw passed the Assembly and Senate! 😻 Cat #declaw is not like a mani/pedi💅; it’s a cruel, unnecessary amputation that results in the removal of most of the first bone, the tendons & muscles. Let’s end this NY! 🐾 pic.twitter.com/M9oVio3iRJ
— Linda B. Rosenthal (@LindaBRosenthal) June 4, 2019
Now, New York is just one signature away from being the first state in the union to completely ban the practice of declawing cats, though several cities in the U.S. and Canada and many European countries have outlawed the practice.
The bill will now be delivered to the desk of Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo (D-N.Y.), who has indicated he will review the measure before making a decision.
Under the new law, veterinarians who perform a declaw surgery would incur a $1,000 fine — meaning pet owners would no longer be able to have their cats declawed for cosmetic, aesthetic and other non-medical reasons.
To be clear, The Catington Post is a strong advocate against declawing. It’s a painful amputation of a cat’s knuckles – not simply removing claws, as many people still believe. It’s a procedure that’s extremely painful, and can have lasting, even lifelong, emotional and physical effects on a cat, whose very nature is to use his claws.
