In the state of New York may prohibit the removal of claws cats

Linda Rosenthal, a member of the New York State Assembly representing the 67th District - the Upper West Side of Manhattan - introduced a bill that would prohibit declawing cats. This procedure, prohibited in the European Union, as well as in New Zealand, is still permitted in most states in America.

Linda Rosenthal is one of New York's most outspoken animal advocates. During her 9 years in the state legislature, she did a lot to pass laws that protected their rights. Thus, on her initiative, a bill was recently passed designed to combat the so-called “puppy or kitten mills” - breeding centers where dogs and cats are bred in inhumane conditions.

Rosenthal proposes to prohibit the removal of claws in cats, except when necessary for the health of the animal.

However, in most cases, cats' claws are removed for nothing more than for the convenience of their owners. They want to protect furniture and other things in the house from damage by sharp cat claws and to simplify the care of an animal.

Onychtomy, or declawing, is a major surgical procedure that involves amputating the last phalanx of each cat's “toe,” along with nerves, ligaments and tendons, animal advocates say. The paws continue to hurt for quite a long time after this procedure.

Moreover, removal can cause infection, lameness and behavior problems. Animals without claws surgically bite more often and are less likely to get used to cat litter. Such cats are often rented to an orphanage, and problems with the psyche of animals become the reason why people do not want to take abandoned animals to themselves. In the end, many of them waiting for sleep.

Rosenthal says that the operation has a lot of alternatives: cats need to regularly cut their claws and / or put special tips on them that do not cause pain to animals. The deputy of the assembly said that she keeps two cats at home and knows about the difficulties of caring for them.

Claw removal today is prohibited in several cities in California, thanks in part to the efforts of the Paw Project, an organization that fights onihtomy practice.

Veterinarian Jennifer Conrad of the Paw Project says declawing animals to stop them from scratching is like treating a person for depression with a lobotomy (brain surgery).

The Legislative Assembly of New York should consider the bill Linda Rosenthal in the near future.