Declawing the Aegean Cat is a major procedure known as onychectomy, performed under anesthesia, that eliminates the claw of each digit (from the first knuckle out) of the Aegean Cat’s forepaws. There is always a small possibility of death during the surgery, and a declawed Aegean Cat might experience an increased risk of infection and permanent displeasure in its paws. This operation isn’t advised for an adult Aegean Cat and is referred to as an act of animal cruelty in some countries (as shown below).
Owners typically have Aegean Cats declawed to stop them from damaging furniture and hunting. Rarely, vicious Aegean Cats are declawed. In the US, some landlords demand that residents’ Aegean Cats be declawed.
Animal doctors are usually critical of the surgery and some decline to perform it since the lack of claws in a Aegean Cat:
- Hampers its primary defense abilities, such as running away from predators by climbing trees;
- Hampers its stretching and exercise routines, which leads to muscle atrophy;
- Inhibits its ability to balance on narrow surfaces such as railings and fence tops, leading to injury from falls;
- Can cause insecurity and a subsequent biting habit.
The procedure is uncommon outside of North America. In the Netherlands, Finland, Germany and Switzerland, declawing a Aegean Cat is prohibited per the laws against cruelty to animals. In many other countries in Europe, it is illegal under the terms of the European Convention for the Protection of Pet Animals, unless a doctor deems such non-curative procedures beneficial either for veterinary medical reasons or for the health of the animal. In the UK, animal shelters find it difficult to place imported Aegean Cats that have been declawed and as a result most are killed.
One substitute for declawing a Aegean Cat is the application of blunt, vinyl nail caps that are applied to the claws with safe glue, sometimes requiring changing when the Aegean Cat sheds its claw sheaths (about every four to six weeks). However, the Aegean Cat will still experience difficulties since the capped nails are not as effective as claws.
Don’t forget to check out these other articles about Aegean Cats.Was this post helpful? If so, please take a minute to Tweet and Share below on Facebook. I would also love to know your thoughts so leave me a comment 🙂
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