Cat declawing bill that passed through New York’s legislature creates local debate

LAKE CHARLES, La. (KPLC) - A bill that recently passed through New York’s legislature banning cat declawing is creating local debate.

The procedure is controversial, removing a cat’s nail bed. The Humane Society says it’s the equivalent of cutting a humans finger tip down to the knuckle.

Dr. Sherwood Gill, a veterinarian at Gill Bright Animal Hospital in Lake Charles has two cats of his own, and says it’s not as negative as people may think.

“Personally my cats are declawed," Gill said. "What you run into is that if you get a cat and the cat starts to damage the furniture, damage the owners with their claws, the other alternative is that you put them outside.”

Gill says having your cat reside outdoors could cut their lifespan by half.

“I think it’s a needed procedure, especially on a lot of these inside cats," Gill said. "I think that, verses putting them outside, to me is a very easy decision.”

But Deborah Watts with Hobo Hotel says they believe it’s inhumane and unethical.

“We just feel it’s an unnecessary surgery that carries with it a number of potential side effects that are not good for the cat or the cat owner,” Watts said. "Most obviously if they happen to get outside, they have no defenses against other cats, other dogs, or predators.

If New York’s Governor signs the bill into law, Veterinarians who perform the procedure could face a fine of $1,000.

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