New York, NY – New York State Assemblymember Linda B. Rosenthal announced that her first-in-the-nation cat declawing ban had been signed into law. The bill, which makes all imposes a $1,000 fine on all medically unnecessary declaw procedures, was sponsored by Michael Gianaris in the State Senate.

“Today New York becomes the first state in the nation to ban the barbaric practice of cat declawing,” said Assemblymember Linda B. Rosenthal (D/WF-Manhattan). “It’s a cat-tastic day for the felines of New York and the many people who love them. Cat declawing is a cruelty, and given the availability of low-cost and pain-free alternatives, it’s totally unnecessary, most often performed to protect people's furniture from cats' scratching. Now that my bill has become law, New York has been catapulted onto the leaderboard of humane states, and I expect other states to quickly follow suit.”

"Cat declawing is a brutal procedure similar to severing a human finger at the first knuckle and has lifelong ramifications for cats,” said Senate Deputy Leader Michael Gianaris. "I am proud of the new Senate majority's emphasis on animal welfare and am glad the Governor enacted this legislation."

The effort to ban cat declawing nationally has been led by the Paw Project, a California based non-profit organization that was responsible for the successfully effort to ban declawing of wild and exotic cats in the state of California.

"We are thrilled that New York has led the way in humane treatment of cats. New York is now a model for other states, including Massachusetts, which is holding its hearing on similar cat protection legislation today. Congratulations to Governor Cuomo, Assemblymember Linda B. Rosenthal, and State Senator Gianaris for making New York a truly cat-friendly, claw-friendly state," said Dr. Jennifer Conrad, DVW, Founder of the Paw Project.

The legislation bans cat declawing unless performed to address a legitimate medical condition. Any person found to be in violation of the law would be subject to a civil penalty of $1,000.

Cat declawing, also known as onychectomy, is the permanent, surgical removal of most of the last bone, and the tendons, nerves and ligaments on the paws of a cat. Declawing often results in intense and chronic lifetime pain for the cat, and also causes unwanted behavioral issues, such as aggression, refusal to use the litter box, depression, biting and/or spraying. Nine cities across the country, including Denver, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Santa Monica, West Hollywood, Berkeley, Beverly Hills, Burbank and Culver City have enacted anti-declawing laws. State legislatures in California, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and West Virginia are considering similar measures.

“Cats rely on their nails, or claws, for behavioral and grooming needs. For a cat, declawing is both psychologically and physically harmful,” said Becky Robinson, president and founder of Alley Cat Allies. “The surgery is traumatic and the resulting disfigurement causes severe pain. Many cats develop negative behaviors because of this and lose their home as a result. So on behalf of more than a half-million supporters of Alley Cat Allies, I congratulate New York for becoming the first state to ban declawing,”

“The Humane Society of the United States applauds Governor Cuomo for signing this historic legislation, championed by Assemblymember Linda B. Rosenthal and Senator Michael Gianaris, into law,” said Brian Shapiro, New York State Director for the HSUS. “The declawing of cats is an outdated, inhumane practice and we expect other states to follow New York’s lead.”