Declawing a European Shorthair is an intense surgery known as onychectomy, performed using anesthesia, that eliminates the claw of each finger (from the first knuckle out) of the European Shorthair’s paws. There’s a slight chance of a fatality during the operation, and a declawed European Shorthair might experience an increased risk of infection and perpetual displeasure in his paws. This procedure is not recommended for an adult European Shorthair and is called an act of animal cruelty in some countries (below).
Owners typically have European Shorthairs declawed to impede them from hunting and from damaging furniture. Rarely, vicious European Shorthairs are declawed. In America, some landlords require that residents’ European Shorthairs are declawed.
Vets are usually critical of the surgery and many refuse to do it since the absence of claws in a European Shorthair:
- Hinders its main self defense skills, including escaping from predators by climbing trees;
- Hampers its exercising and stretching routines, leading to muscle atrophy;
- Inhibits its ability to balance on thin surfaces like fence tops and railings, which could lead to injury from falling;
- Can lead to insecurity and a subsequent tendency to bite.
The surgery is uncommon outside of North America. In the Netherlands, Finland, Germany and Switzerland, declawing a European Shorthair is not allowed by the laws forbidding cruelty to animals. In many other countries in Europe, it is not allowed under the terms of the European Convention for the Protection of Pet Animals, unless a vet deems such non-curative procedures necessary either for veterinary medical reasons or for the benefit of the European Shorthair. In Britain, animal shelters find it hard to place imported European Shorthairs that have been declawed and subsequently most are euthanized.
An substitute for declawing a European Shorthair is the application of blunt, vinyl claw caps that are applied to the claws with harmless glue, requiring periodic changing when the European Shorthair loses its claw sheaths (about every four to six weeks). Although, the European Shorthair will still have problems since the capped nails are not as effective as claws.
Don’t forget to check out these other articles about European Shorthairs.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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