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The state Senate passed several bills this week, including one bill that is popular among animal welfare advocates that would ban inhumane declawing of felines.
Denver and several cities in California have already passed similar measures. The bill will now have to pass through a second committee before it moves forward to the Assembly.
Advocates have argued that declawing cats is inhumane because it involves the amputation of the animal’s toes back to the first knuckle. However, some veterinary associations in New York have opposed the bill, arguing that declawing should be available as a last resort for those cats that won’t stop scratching furniture or humans.
According to the Human Society of the United States, “declawing can make a cat less likely to use the litter box or more likely to bite. Declawing also can cause lasting physical problems for your cat.” The organization notes that it “opposes declawing except for the rare cases when it is necessary for medical purposes, such as the removal of cancerous nail bed tumors.”
“People who are worried about being scratched, especially those with immunodeficiencies or bleeding disorders, may be told incorrectly that their health will be protected by declawing their cats. However, infectious disease specialists don't recommend declawing. The risk from scratches for these people is less than those from bites, cat litter, or fleas carried by their cats.”
The Humane Society noted that “It is an unnecessary surgery that provides no medical benefit to the cat. Educated pet parents can easily train their cats to use their claws in a manner that allows everyone in the household to live together happily.”
“Medical drawbacks to declawing include pain in the paw, infection, tissue necrosis (tissue death), lameness, and back pain. Removing claws changes the way a cat's foot meets the ground and can cause pain similar to wearing an uncomfortable pair of shoes. There can also be a regrowth of improperly removed claws, nerve damage, and bone spurs.”
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