Lawmakers approve bill prohibiting declawing of cats

If it’s signed, New York would be the first state to ban the procedure

New York is poised to become the first state in the nation to ban the surgical declawing of cats.

State lawmakers overwhelmingly approved legislation on Tuesday as part of a package of measures designed to protect pets and enhance penalties for animal abusers. If signed into law by Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, a veterinarian could face a civil penalty of $1,000 for violating the prohibition, which would include a medical exemption.

Cat declawing involves the removal of bone, tendons, nerves and ligaments on the front feet of a cat. Opponents contend it causes intense and chronic pain, while also generating unwanted behavioral problems.

Assemblywoman Linda Rosenthal, a Manhattan Democrat pushing the legislation, said support for the ban has grown as people learn how “barbaric” the operation is.

“It is an amputation up to the first knuckle,” Rosenthal said. “They’re kind of taken aback that people would want to do that to their animals. I think people are finally getting educated to the travesty of this surgery.”

She doesn’t anticipate that a ban on declawing would discourage New Yorkers from owning cats or decrease adoptions from shelters. In fact, Rosenthal said, the number of adopted cats returned to shelters in Los Angeles County, where there is a local ban, has decreased in recent years.

“Most of the time people understand that a cat comes with claws, and they will accommodate the cat,” she said. “Removing them purely because someone values their furniture more than their cat is inhumane.”

Assemblyman Brian Manktelow, a western New York Republican, voted against the measure because it was too broad.

“There are certain circumstances, especially with senior citizens, where you should be able to do this in consultation with your veterinarian,” Manktelow said.

Bans on declawing have been passed in nine counties around the country and statewide action is under consideration in New Jersey, Rhode Island and West Virginia, according to a news release from Rosenthal’s office.