Outlaw DeClawing of Cats and Tatooing them in NY & all 50 States Bill A01297

JUSTIFICATION:

Cats' claws play an important role in various aspects of their lives.
Cats use their claws to assist in climbing and maintaining balance, to
help them fully stretch, to relieve stress through kneading and to
escape danger. When a person has its animal declawed, usually in an
attempt to protect furniture, they do fundamental damage to that
animal both physically and in behavioral ways. There are harmless ways
to manage undesirable behavior through simple training and other
established methods.

Declawing, also known as onychectomy, involves the removal of all or
most of the last bone of each of the toes of the front feet, and
tendons, nerves and ligaments that allow for normal function of the
paw are severed, resulting in intense and chronic pain and other
serious medical issues. Flexor tendonectomy, in which cats' toes are
cut so that claws cannot be extended also imperils their health and
safety. Abscesses often develop as the area comes into contact with
dirt or litter, and sometimes regrowth can occur spontaneously
resulting in sharp pain or infection. After the claws are removed, the
animal tends to shift its gait and where it places most of its weight,
causing strain on its leg joints and spine, which can lead to early
onset arthritis and prolonged back and joint pain. Declawed cats often
develop behavioral problems that lead to their being surrendered to
animal shelters where they are, for the most part, not adoptable.

Declawing is currently banned in nearly 10 cities in California and in
many countries around the world, including Switzerland, Israel and the
U.K. This bill seeks to ban such practice in New York State