One of the first things a new cat owner decides is whether or not to declaw their new buddy. We love our animals, but when the curtains come crashing down in the middle of the night because "Spider Cat" decided to climb Mount Window, the thought of getting rid of those sofa shredding death talons is tempting. Also, "Cat Scratch Fever" isn't just a song - a cat's scratch can leave some nasty bacteria in the wound.
Paw Project describes the declawing procedure as: "amputation; it is not merely the removal of the claws. To declaw a cat, the veterinarian cuts off the last knuckles of a cat's paw - cutting through bone, tendons, skin and nerves. In a person, it is equivalent to amputating each finger or toe at the last joint."
Animal welfare groups like PETA, the ASPCA and the Humane Society have all spoken out against this practice they call "de-knuckling." According to Addicting Info: "Almost every European country, including England, has banned declawing, citing cruelty. In America, the operation still remains common."
Manhattan Assemblywoman Linda Rosenthal (D) has been an advocate for animals and has introduced bills, such as the bill that made tattooing and piercing your pet illegal. Rosenthal's latest bill is focused on banning declawing in the State of New York.
"One of the reasons I am in elected office is to be an advocate for those who don't have their own voice, or who are overshadowed by interests that are more powerful than they are," Rosenthal told the New York Daily News.
"There's no reason to do it unless the animal has [an] infection that is never going away, or if there is a cancer or tumor-related issue in the claw," she said, according to Gothamist. "It's basically done because humans want it done, and I don't think it's our right to mutilate our animals for our own satisfaction."
That sentiment echoes the American Veterinary Medical Association's stance that amputation should be a last alternative, after scratching posts, nail trimming, nail caps or other deterrents. Scratching is a natural behavior for cats. The AVMA also notes: "Scientific data do [sic] indicate that cats that have destructive scratching behavior are more likely to be euthanatized, or more readily relinquished, released, or abandoned, thereby contributing to the homeless cat population. Where scratching behavior is an issue as to whether or not a particular cat can remain as an acceptable household pet in a particular home, surgical onychectomy may be considered.
"There is no scientific evidence that declawing leads to behavioral abnormalities when the behavior of declawed cats is compared with that of cats in control groups."
Rosenthal's bill has some support from the other side of the aisle. Republican Assemblyman Joseph Griffo has agreed to co-sponsor the bill.
What do you think? Should declawing be allowed, increasing the chance that stray cats find a fur-ever home or are you willing to give up shirts that have no holes for your feline companion? Leave your thoughts in the comment section below!
