Cat Declawing Banned in NY

Excerpts
ALBANY, New York -- New York became the first U.S. state to ban the declawing of cats Monday, joining most of Europe, several Canadian provinces and a growing list of American cities that already prohibit a procedure animal advocates call cruel and unnecessary.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, signed the New York ban. Supporters of the new law, which took effect immediately, predict it will lead to similar proposals across the country.

 Declawing a cat involves slicing through bone to amputate the first segment of a cat's toes. The operation was once commonly performed to protect furniture and human skin from feline scratching

 According to The Paw Project, a California-based group that supports bans on declawing, bills to prohibit the procedure are pending in several states, including New Jersey, California and Massachusetts, where lawmakers held a hearing on the measure Monday.

"For a cat, declawing is both psychologically and physically harmful," said Becky Robinson, president and founder of Alley Cat Allies, a Bethesda, Maryland-based organization. "The surgery is traumatic, and the resulting disfigurement causes severe pain."

Entire article at
https://abc7ny.com/pets-animals/new-york-becomes-1st-state-to-ban-declawing-of-cats/5411311/?fbclid=IwAR1-hsy3i6FwRWvuaL6truRWFerNvsNiIQWqQUDHBPM-CA7KDRBR40E2-rA