To declaw or not to declaw?

A proposal to ban cat declawing in New York is singling out a once-common procedure that veterinarians say is now on the decline amid a wider debate about how we treat our household pets

For many decades, declawing cats has been a routine veterinary procedure, but this is no simple pedicure. There's anesthesia, pain medication and the amputation of the cat's toes back to the first knuckle.

New York's first-in-the-nation legislative proposal to ban the declawing of cats has sparked a heated debate among veterinarians and cat lovers alike, with some insisting it's inhumane and others saying it should be allowed as a last resort for felines that won't stop scratching furniture, carpets and their owners.