New York's first-in-the-nation legislative proposal to ban the declawing of cats has sparked a heated debate among veterinarians and cat lovers alike.[Photo provided to China Daily]

The debate comes as Americans' feelings about their four-legged friends continue to evolve. Another bill in New York's Legislature would remove sales taxes on pet food, and lawmakers here voted last year to allow dogs to join their human companions on the patios of restaurants. Several states have now banned surgeries which remove a dog's vocal cords. And all 50 states now have statutes making severe animal cruelty a felony.

"There's a rising tide of social concern about animal welfare," says Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of the Humane Society of the United States. "We've proven that the American public is deeply concerned about the welfare of animals, the ones that live with them and the ones used for food production."

Australia, Britain and several European countries already ban cat declawing. It's also illegal in Los Angeles and some other California cities. Estimates are that about a quarter of all household cats will be declawed in their lifetimes－though vets that speak to the AP say it's becoming less and less common.

At the Animal Haven shelter in lower Manhattan, associate director Kendra Mara says about 10 percent of the cats up for adoption are declawed. Some of the felines who have the procedure resort to biting instead, and some avoid using the litter box because the litter can aggravate their wounds.

"It's never an easy adoption," she says. "There's always the need to work on the behavior issue."

Manhattan resident Brian Gari, one of several cat owners interviewed by the AP, inherited his 10-year-old cat Kiki when his father passed away and declawed her because "he put his furniture in front of the welfare of the cat." Gari says Kiki has problems using the litterbox, forcing him to put her into a room lined with newspapers.

"It's a total nightmare. I have to work around the situation," he says. "She's very sweet though. But she's completely screwed up."

Vets who speak to the AP say cat owners increasingly turn to alternatives－scratching posts, regular clippings or small caps that go over a cat's nails.

The New York State Veterinary Medical Society, however, remains opposed to a full ban. President Susan Wylegala says the number of declawings at her Buffalo-area practice is less than 50 percent of what it was just three years ago.

"We're seeing it in significantly lower numbers because vets are educating clients on the alternatives that are available," she says. "It needs to remain that last option."