In a bipartisan move on Tuesday, lawmakers voted to make the procedure illegal, except where it is medically necessary for the cat. 

The governor, Andrew Cuomo, needs to review and sign the bill before it becomes law. 

Critics say cat declawing - which involves cutting off a segment of the bone attached to the claw - is "barbaric and inhumane".

But the New York Veterinary Medical Society has argued that it should still be an option when otherwise the cat might be abandoned or put down. 

Cat declawing is already illegal in many countries in Europe, including the UK, as well as Brazil, Israel, Australia and New Zealand.