To Declaw, or Not Declaw?
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo sits on a precipice. He has 30 days to enact a new bill that will ban declawing cats, which would make New York the first state to outlaw the controversial practice. If he chooses to ratify it, Cuomo will massively disrupt the normal model of cat ownership in New York. Most cats in New York are indoor cats, which means they don’t require their claws to hunt or climb. Many vets declaw cats automatically when they spay or neuter them. This attitude contrasts with other countries, where declawing is not routine, and many vets consider it cruel.