New York could be the first state in the nation to ban the declawing of cats. There's legislation in the assembly and Senate to do just that. Supporters say the practice of removing a cat's claws is inhumane.
The process involves cutting through bone, tendon and nerves to amputate the first segment of a cat's toes. Animal rights activists call declawing unnecessary and cruel. There's a bill before the state legislature to ban the procedure.
The state's Veterinary Medical Society opposes the legislation, saying declawing can often save cats with destructive scratching behavior from being euthanized.
"That would be the equivalent of taking these cigar cutters and slipping my finger through and cutting this whole last bone off," said an interviewee from The Paw Project.
Amherst animal rights activist Morgan Dunbar has built an outdoor playground for her cats. She says education is the key. Pet owners need to learn about declawing and what it really means for your cat.
"It's absolutely traumatizing to the animal. Very painful. It's not declawing. That's a very green way of putting it. It's amputation," said Dunbar.
Veterinarians say about 25 percent of North American cats are declawed. The issue has split medical professionals. Vets lobbying for the legislation say declawing a cat can often lead to worse behavior, including difficulty using a litter box or biting — something disputed by the veterinary society.
"We're talking about elective surgery so people can prioritize their furniture, their property, over the life of an animal," said Dunbar.
The bill has sponsors in both the assembly and Senate but there's still no date for a vote. Educating cat owners is part of the process, but the bill's chief sponsor in the assembly says that won't be enough to get vets to stop declawing cats.
"Voluntary would be wonderful, but at this moment there are too many vets who are willing to declaw and owners who don't understand how it will debilitate their cat," said assembly member Linda Rosenthal.