New York Was the First U.S. State to Ban Cat Declawing
The Short Answer
It is illegal in New York State to declaw a cat for cosmetic or convenience reasons. The state became the first in the U.S. to enact such a ban when Governor Andrew Cuomo signed the legislation on July 22, 2019.
The Full Story
Cat declawing — medically known as onychectomy — involves amputating the last bone of each toe on a cat's front paws, severing tendons, nerves, and ligaments in the process. Critics liken it to cutting off a human finger at the top knuckle. The practice was historically popular in the United States as a way to protect furniture or household members from scratching, but animal welfare advocates have long argued it causes intense and chronic post-surgical pain, altered gait, early-onset arthritis, and behavioral problems such as biting and litter box avoidance — sometimes leading owners to surrender their cats to shelters.
Assemblywoman Linda Rosenthal of Manhattan first introduced the bill in January 2015, but it stalled in Albany for years, largely due to opposition from the New York State Veterinary Medical Society, which argued declawing should remain a last resort option for owners who might otherwise give up their pets. Animal welfare groups and many individual veterinarians pushed back, pointing to evidence from cities like Los Angeles — which banned declawing in 2009 — showing no surge in cat surrenders after such bans.
The New York City Bar Association's Animal Law Committee also threw its weight behind the bill, and notably advocated for changing the penalty from a criminal misdemeanor to a civil fine, citing concerns about mass incarceration. The final bill passed both chambers of the New York legislature in June 2019 with bipartisan support and was signed by Governor Cuomo on July 22, 2019, taking effect immediately. New York joined roughly three dozen countries — including the UK, France, Germany, Israel, and Switzerland — as well as several U.S. cities that had already prohibited the practice. The law targets the person performing the procedure (typically a veterinarian), not the cat's owner.
Common Misconceptions
Some people assume the law punishes cat owners who request the procedure. In fact, the civil penalty of up to $1,000 applies only to the person who performs the procedure (e.g., a veterinarian), not to the owner. There is also a legitimate medical exception: declawing is permitted when medically necessary to treat an illness, infection, injury, or abnormal claw condition that compromises the cat's health.
Actual Legal Text
No person shall perform an onychectomy (declawing), partial or complete phalangectomy or tendonectomy procedure by any means on a cat within the state of New York, except when necessary for a therapeutic purpose. 'Therapeutic purpose' means the necessity to address the physical medical condition of the cat, such as an existing or recurring illness, infection, disease, injury or abnormal condition in the claw that compromises the cat's health. Therapeutic purpose does NOT include cosmetic or aesthetic reasons or reasons of convenience in keeping or handling the cat. Violators face a civil penalty not to exceed $1,000.
Current Status
Actively Enforced
Penalty
Civil penalty of up to $1,000 per violation, imposed on the person who performs the procedure
Fine: Up to USD1,000
Last Verified
July 22, 2026
Enacted
July 22, 2019
Jurisdiction Notes
Applies statewide across all of New York State. Does not apply to other U.S. states (though several cities in California, Colorado, and elsewhere have similar municipal bans).