New York may ban cat declawing

New York is moving closer to becoming the first US state to ban declawing of cats except when medically necessary.

The state Assembly's agriculture committee advanced the measure on Tuesday. The bill must still pass a second committee before going to the Assembly.

Two previous attempts to pass the legislation didn't make it past the agriculture committee. Under the current bill, violators could face a penalty not to exceed $1,000.

"The cats of New York deserve better, and I'm hoping the Legislature will now stand up for them," said Jennifer Conrad, a Santa Monica, California-based veterinarian who founded the Paw Project, a group that advocates declawing bans across North America.

Declawing is banned in 10 California cities – including Santa Monica, Los Angeles and San Francisco. Conrad said legislation for statewide bans have been introduced in California, Rhode Island, West Virginia, New Jersey and Massachusetts. Proposed bans also have been introduced in six provinces in Canada.

Worldwide, Israel, Switzerland, the UK and 39 other countries have banned declawing cats. The practice is considered cruel and illegal in most European countries. In Israel, it can lead to a yearlong prison sentence and a $20,000 fine.

Scratching, according to American Veterinary Medical Association's (AVMA) guideline, is a normal feline behavior to mark their territory both visually and with scent. It keeps their claws in condition and helps them stretch.

Conrad and other opponents of declawing say it is the wrong way to address scratching.

"It's better to give a cat proper scratching poles or clip nails," said Conrad. "There are so many humane alternatives to declawing."

For Conrad, the term "declaw" understates the process of declawing, which amputates portions of the animal's bones, tendons and ligaments, as opposed to just cutting off the nail, as most people believe, a practice that the American Veterinary Medical Association characterizes as major surgery.

Instead of "some magical way that a veterinarian can pull out the nail", Conrad called declawing "de-ankling", a term she said would lead some cat owners to avoid such practice.

"We are just trying to raise awareness because the term 'declawing' is purposely deceptive," she said.

Banning declawing has aroused debate among cat owners and veterinarians. The New York State Veterinary Medical Society and the New York State Association of Veterinary Technicians both oppose the ban.

"(Declawing) is one method to allow a beloved feline companion to continue to live in a household rather than relinquishing the family pet to a shelter," the Veterinary Medical Society's lobbyist wrote. "Declawing should remain a viable alternative to euthanasia if all other options have failed."

Not all veterinarians or cat owners agree with that position.

Declawing cats can result in complications with both long-term and short-term effects, said Eileen Jefferson, a veterinarian and member of the Humane Society Veterinary Medical Association.

Research published in 2017 in the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery said declawing increases the risk of long-term or persistent pain and unwanted behaviors, such as inappropriate elimination and aggression and biting.

Declawing supporters also say that the practice protects the health of the cat owner, especially those with thin skin, from HIV or hemophilia, Conrad said.

For Conrad, the ban would benefit not only cats but veterinarians themselves.

"By stopping declawing in their practices, veterinarians make more money because people are looking for a humane vet," she said.