An animal rights champion who also happens to be a lawmaker in New York state has introduced legislation to make it illegal to declaw cats, reports the Daily News. The measure by Manhattan Assemblywoman Linda Rosenthal would make exceptions only for reasons deemed medically necessary by a vet—and it would make New York the first state to institute such a ban, reports ABC News.
Declawing is "basically done because humans want it done, and I don't think it's our right to mutilate our animals for our own satisfaction," Rosenthal tells Gothamist. The Humane Society backs the proposed law, with a state official explaining that pet owners often think declawing is a harmless way to keep their cats from scratching furniture. "They don't realize that declawing includes amputation of the claw and bone to which it is attached, and can have behavioral impacts that make a cat less likely to use the litter box or more likely to bite." Rosenthal hopes to get the law passed this year. (More cats stories.)
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