Cat Declawing Still on Burner by Assembly woman Seeking to Ban It

In the 1957 movie the Incredible Shrinking Man, had the hero declawed his cat his problems would have been far less severe.

 

New York may still be poised to become the first state in the nation to outlaw the declawing of cats.

Declawing is legal in most U.S. jurisdictions. It is estimated that 25% of owned cats in the United States are declawed.

Last May, Manhattan Assemblywoman Linda Rosenthal (D) introduced Assembly Bill 1297, that would make New York the first state in the country to officially ban declawing.

In 2014, Rosenthal managed to pass a bill that outlawed the tattooing and piercing of pets.

“One of the reasons I am in elected office is to be an advocate for those who don’t have their own voice, or who are overshadowed by interests that are more powerful than they are,” she told the News.

According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, declawing is the surgical amputation of all or part of a cat's toe bones and the attached claws, and it is a painful procedure. It is not a simple trimming of the nails.

“There’s no reason to do it unless the animal has [an] infection that is never going away, or if there is a cancer or tumor-related issue in the claw,” Rosenthal said. “It’s basically done because humans want it done, and I don’t think it’s our right to mutilate animals for our own satisfaction.”

Rosenthal's bill is backed by the Humane Society of New York and the Paw Project, a California-based group dedicated to stopping cat declawing.

Declawing is not merely the removal of the claws. In animals that hunt prey, the claws grow from the bone; therefore, the last bone is amputated so the claw cannot re-grow. Also, the tendons, nerves, and ligaments that enable normal function and movement of the paw are severed.

PETA, the ASPCA, and the Humane Society have come out against declawing.

State veterinarians, who charge pet owners to declaw cats, have come out against a Rosenthal’s bid to outlaw the procedure.

"You are taking away a decision that should be made between an owner and the medical professional," said Chris Brockett, past president of the New York State Veterinary Medical Society.

Nationally, the American Veterinary Medical Association believes cat declawing should be a last resort but has stopped short of supporting a ban on the procedure.

"Declawing of domestic cats should be considered only after attempts have been made to prevent the cat from using its claws destructively or when its clawing presents an above normal health risk for its owner," the AVMA's policy states.