Declawing the Japanese Bobtail is an intense surgery known as onychectomy, performed using anesthesia, which eliminates the claw of each toe (from the first knuckle out) of the Japanese Bobtail’s forepaw. There’s a remote possibility of death during the procedure, and a declawed Japanese Bobtail may have an increased risk of infection and perpetual discomfort in his paws. This procedure is not suitable for an adult Japanese Bobtail and is labeled an act of animal cruelty in some regions (shown below).
Owners usually get Japanese Bobtails declawed to prevent them from hunting and from damaging furniture. Rarely, vicious Japanese Bobtails are declawed. In the US, some landlords require that tenants’ Japanese Bobtails be declawed.
Doctors are generally critical of the procedure and at times refuse to perform it since the lack of claws in a Japanese Bobtail:
- Hinders its main defense skills, such as running away from predators by climbing trees;
- Reduces its exercising and stretching habits, which leads to muscle loss;
- Impairs its ability to balance on narrow surfaces like fence tops and railings, leading to injury from falling;
- Can lead to insecurity and as a result a biting habit.
The procedure is not common outside of North America. In Switzerland, the Netherlands, Germany and Finland, declawing a Japanese Bobtail is forbidden by the statutes forbidding cruelty to animals. In many other European countries, it is prohibited under the terms of the European Convention for the Protection of Pet Animals, unless a vet deems such non-curative procedures beneficial either for veterinary medical reasons or for the health of the animal. In England, animal shelters find it hard to place imported Japanese Bobtails that have been declawed and as a result many are killed.
An substitute for declawing a Japanese Bobtail is the application of wide, vinyl nail caps that are stuck to the claws with safe glue, sometimes requiring replacement when the Japanese Bobtail sheds its claw sheaths (about every four to six weeks). Yet, the Japanese Bobtail will still experience problems because the capped nails are not as effective as claws.
Don’t forget to check out these other articles about Japanese Bobtails.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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