Declawing a Cheetoh is an intense operation known as onychectomy, performed with anesthesia, which eliminates the claw of each finger (from the first knuckle out) of the Cheetoh’s paws. There is always a miniscule chance of a fatality in the procedure, and a declawed Cheetoh may have an increased risk of infection and permanent pain in its paws. This operation isn’t advised for an adult Cheetoh and is termed an act of animal cruelty in some places (as shown below).
People typically get Cheetohs declawed to stop them from hunting and from damaging furniture. Rarely, vicious Cheetohs are declawed. In the United States, some landlords require that residents’ Cheetohs be declawed.
Vets are generally critical of the surgery and many refuse to perform it because the absence of claws in a Cheetoh:
- Impairs its main self defense skills, including running away from predators by climbing trees;
- Reduces its exercising and stretching routines, which can lead 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 as a result a biting habit.
The procedure is not common outside of North America. In the Netherlands, Finland, Germany and Switzerland, declawing a Cheetoh is illegal by the statutes against animal cruelty. In many other countries in Europe, it is forbidden under the terms of the European Convention for the Protection of Pet Animals, unless a vet considers such non-curative procedures beneficial either for veterinary medical reasons or for the benefit of the Cheetoh. In England, animal shelters are finding it hard to place imported Cheetohs that have been declawed and subsequently most are killed.
One alternative to declawing a Cheetoh is the use of wide, vinyl claw caps that are applied to the claws with safe glue, requiring periodic replacement when the Cheetoh loses its claw sheaths (about every four to six weeks). However, the Cheetoh will still experience problems because the capped nails are not as effective as claws.
Don’t forget to check out these other articles about Cheetohs.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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