Free Republic

If your kitty has claws, you soon won’t be able to have them removed in the Commonwealth. Gov. Glenn Youngkin has signed a bill outlawing the declawing of cats by veterinarians, effective July 1. This is not applicable to nail filing, nail trimming or the placement of temporary nail caps on your cat’s claws. Civil penalties include $500 for the first violation, $1,000 for the second violation and $2,500 for the third or any subsequent violation.

Animals Cat advocates say declawing is ‘brutal.’ New York lawmakers just voted to ban the procedure. Assemblywoman Linda Rosenthal (D-Manhattan) celebrates Tuesday as her bill banning the declawing of cats is passed by members of the New York Assembly as part of Animal Advocacy Day at the state Capitol in Albany. (Hans Pennink/AP) By Michael Brice-Saddler June 4 New York is one signature away from becoming the first state in the country to ban cat declawing, a practice advocates say serves no benefit to felines and is done typically out of convenience. The bill, which passed by a wide margin...

New York State Assemblywoman Linda Rosenthal, known for showing her claws against animal cruelty, is pouncing on a new topic: cat declawing. Rosenthal, who represents district 67, mainly covering Manhattan's Upper West Side, has penned a bill that would ban removing cats' claws unless necessary for medical reasons, the New York Daily News reports. The bill has not yet been introduced to the state Senate, but it has been backed by the Humane Society of New York. "Too often, people think that declawing is a simple surgery that removes a cat's nails—the equivalent of having your fingernails trimmed. Sadly, this...

An animal welfare advisory board to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors is recommending the city ban the veterinary practice of de-clawing cats, except in cases of medical necessity. The San Francisco Commission of Animal Control and Welfare voted 5-1 Thursday in support of a ban, arguing the practice is cruel and often done simply for cosmetic purposes or to prevent pets from clawing furniture, Commission Chair Sally Stephens said. Stephens said the procedure involves amputating the last bone in a cat's paw and, though doctors use anesthetic, some cats can suffer long-term pain and behavioral changes, such as refusing...