New York may ban declawing cats if a new hotly-debated proposal is approved.

Some owners and veterinarians say that the practice is inhumane and cruel, but others say it should be allowed as a last resort for troublesome felines.

Cat's claws are attached to the bone, so vets need to slice through tendon and nerves to get to the last segment of bone, and the process requires anesthetic and pain medication.

Declawing is a routine procedure in the US, but it is outlawed in the UK, as well as Australia and several other European countries.

One veterinarian from California, Jenner Conrad, said: "It's amputation. It is the equivalent of taking a cigar cutter and cutting the end joint off."

The New York State Veterinary Medical Society is however, opposed to a full ban.

President Susan Wylegala said the number of declawings at her practice is less than half of what it was three years ago.

"We're seeing it in significantly lower numbers because vets are educating clients on the alternatives that are available," she said.

"It needs to remain that last option."