Posted on 01/14/2015 11:28:21 AM PST by Responsibility2nd
New York State Assemblywoman Linda Rosenthal, known for showing her claws against animal cruelty, is pouncing on a new topic: cat declawing.
Rosenthal, who represents district 67, mainly covering Manhattan's Upper West Side, has penned a bill that would ban removing cats' claws unless necessary for medical reasons, the New York Daily News reports.
The bill has not yet been introduced to the state Senate, but it has been backed by the Humane Society of New York.
"Too often, people think that declawing is a simple surgery that removes a cat's nails—the equivalent of having your fingernails trimmed. Sadly, this is far from the truth," the Humane Society says on its website. "Declawing traditionally involves the amputation of the last bone of each toe. If performed on a human being, it would be like cutting off each finger at the last knuckle."
The Paw Project, a non-profit dedicated to educating the public about the effects of declawing, is also behind it. The group has successfully led campaigns to make declawing illegal in cities across California, including Los Angeles and San Francisco, and in 2014 helped get a law in Rhode Island enacted to prohibit landlords from requiring tenants to declaw their pets.
If Rosenthal's bill is enacted, New York would be the first in the country to introduce a state-wide ban on the practice.
Rosenthal's previous efforts include fighting to extend orders of protection to domestic animals and limiting cosmetic testing on animals. Just last month, her bill banning pet tattoos and piercings was signed by Governor Andrew Cuomo.
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>> “Should there be a LAW against it?” <<
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Should there be a law against cutting your finger tips off?
Mutilating your pet is not a loving gesture.
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All of our cats we’ve had since 92 have been declawed and indoor cats only. They are not exposed to the stress, cold, traffic, wild animals, and diseases of the outside, have the run of the house, live to be 18 to 20 years old in good health and far outlast any of the fully clawed, indoor/outdoor cats we had before that time. Cats are adaptable animals and if given the easy living conditions like they have in our house they thrive. Ours sniff at the garage when the door is open but don’t like to be outside, even in a carrier. Had one of them in an older carrier that opened up while on the ground outside of the garage. The cat took on a panicked look and as soon as he saw the garage he was at the door to the house to get back in.
Nice touch, but mine would chew them off in no time at all. We tried something similar a number of years back but they wouldn’t have any of it.
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>> “People who declaw an animal would probably find abortion OK too.” <<
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And usually, they do!
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This must have been pushed by the upholstery lobby.
It’s a play on what you said, “I prefect a declawed cat.”
The cat or the chihuahua?....................
Yes, a 7 lb animal living its life in a heated and air conditioned 2500 square feet of space having all of its needs met for him is complete cruelty... send in the marines.
I was against declawing our kittie, but Mrs Romulus prevailed. I was also against making her a house-only kittie. Being rational however, I know our house is a decent size, with ample kittie amusement opportunities, so there’s no need for her to go outside. I know also that indoor kitties are more flea-free (heartworm too), and that other dangers are avoided. The cat will miss out on some entertaining outdoor adventures, but it’s an acceptable tradeoff for a longer, healthier life. She is allowed on a screened porch where she can inspect the back yard and ponder escape tactics.
The declawing operation made no discernable difference in our cat’s daily life. She seems happy with no sign of discomfort or distress. Her behavior in all respects in unchanged. If there are sometimes bad outcomes to declawing, it may be attributable to veterinary surgical error or complication.
If he could understand the question, I suspect the average tomcat would prefer declawing to deballing. The same people who are horrified by declawing generally promote castration with great enthusiasm.
I agree with you. I’ve never had a kitten that I couldn’t train NOT to claw and scratch things it shouldn’t. And I’ve had a LOT of kittens over the years. Full disclosure: Mine have always been indoor/outdoor cats who go out and come in when they want.
Should there be a law against it? Probably not, though I would NEVER declaw a cat myself. Also, I don’t know if anyone else has experienced this, but it is getting harder to find a vet who will even perform the procedure as a routine matter. Mine won’t. (Don’t know if he’ll do it for “medical reasons,” and I’m not sure what those “medical reasons” would be.)
I think that in the future we will se more and more vets refusing to do it. So...NO on the law.
Regards,
Reaching, are we? Comparing the declawing of a cat with aborting a child - get a grip. And just for the record, I do not approve of abortion. I have 3 cats, all declawed by a licensed veterinarian. I also have two adult daughters, fully clawed.
This bill will cause the deaths of more kittens and cats than it “helps”.
Anyone want to bet against this assertion?
Proposed government interference into the private lives of cat owners, to forbid the declawing of said property (cats)?
Why would you think FReepers might have differing opinions on this?
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The best way to declaw them is with a 6mm REM and an 87 grain match hollow point @ 3400 fps.
Ok - Let’s turn the cat loose and let him/her roam the neighborhood, picking fights with other cats; killing birds; spreading disease, and having numerous litters of kittens, all to become feral scavengers or road kill. I prefer keeping my 3 cats indoors where they are safe, and they love it.
My poor cat was picked on by my chihuahua, Fidel.
Among those folks, euthanasia is always preferable to declawing. Sometimes otherwise good, indoor cats just can’t keep their claws to themselves. Of course euthanasia for some of NY’s other predators is another argument.
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