Cat News for the State of NY

Last month during Animal Advocacy Day, New York became the third state to push forward a bill by the Humane Society banning cat declawing, joining other countries that have long since banned the procedure. The bill awaits the signature of Gov. Cuomo to be passed. Read more, below…

The surgical removal of a feline’s claws has been mistakenlyconsidered a quick fix for unwanted scratching and the destruction offurniture. But cats scratch for a reason -- in fact, it’s a trait specific tocats -- just as a bear will scratch its back on a tree or a monkey will groomits offspring; a good scratching session is part of what makes a cat a cat,helping him or her to remove dead husks from their claws, have a sense ofmarking territory, and flex their muscles. Plus, there are adverse effects to adeclawed cat. Without their claws, cats are more likely to bite, often feelingdefenseless without their number one tool. It is also reported that a declawedcat will avoid the litter box after the surgery, perhaps because of pain ordiscomfort.

In addition, cat declawing can result in lifelong pain for your cat, since it is essentially an amputation procedure. Cats that have undergone cat declawing surgery are more prone to infection, nerve damage and tissue death. While there are many in opposition of the surgery, there are some in favor, including those who believe that owners with blood diseases such as hemophilia should be given the option to declaw their cat. The bottom line? There are several ways to keep unwanted scratching at bay. Keep your kitty’s nails trimmed (we wrote a blog post about it here - link attached) and provide plenty of scratching posts throughout the house, replacing them as needed. 

What do you think? While the ban has both those in favor and those in opposition, lawmakers are uniting over a common sentiment: our pets give us so much love and happiness, we'd do what it takes to keep them safe.