New York’s legislature passed a bill Tuesday that would make it the first state to ban declawing cats.
“New York prides itself on being first,” said the bill’s sponsor in the state assembly, Democratic Assemblywoman Linda Rosenthal, according to NBC News. “This will have a domino effect.”
The bill, which now awaits the signature of Gov. Andrew Cuomo, would fine veterinarians $1,000 for performing the procedure. Unlike human fingernails, cat claws grow attached to the bone, so declawing involves amputating the ends of a cat’s toes.
The bill passed without significant opposition in the Assembly or Senate, 92-27 and 50-12, respectively.
Opponents to the measure include the New York State Veterinary Medical Society, which states that declawing should be available as a last resort in cases where cats won’t stop scratching owners or furniture, or when the owner has a weakened immune system and a higher risk of infection.
“Medical decisions should be left to the sound discretion of fully trained, licensed, and state supervised professionals,” the society said in a memo opposing the legislation.
The bill reads that the procedure would still be allowed in cases of medical emergency, such as injury or infection.
According to the Associated Press, defenders of the bill oppose leaving the decision to veterinarians and owners, such as Rosenthal, who said the decision to declaw is “barbaric and inhumane.”
