Declawing a Oriental Shorthair is an intense operation known as onychectomy, performed using anesthesia, that removes the claw from each finger (from the first knuckle out) of the Oriental Shorthair’s forepaws. There’s a remote chance of death in the surgery, and a declawed Oriental Shorthair might have a slight risk of infection and long-term pain in his paws. This operation is not recommended for an adult Oriental Shorthair and is labeled an act of animal cruelty in some regions (as shown below).
People usually have Oriental Shorthairs declawed to stop them from damaging furniture and hunting. Rarely, vicious Oriental Shorthairs are declawed. In America, some landlords require that residents’ Oriental Shorthairs are declawed.
Doctors are generally negative about the procedure and some refuse to perform it because the absence of claws in a Oriental Shorthair:
- Impairs its main self-protection abilities, like escaping from predators by climbing trees;
- Hinders its stretching and exercise routines, which leads to muscle atrophy;
- Deprives it of its ability to balance on thin surfaces like fence tops and railings, leading to injury from falls;
- Can lead to insecurity and as a result a biting habit.
The surgery is rarely performed outside of North America. In Germany, Finland, Switzerland and the Netherlands, declawing a Oriental Shorthair is illegal per the laws forbidding cruelty to animals. In many other countries in Europe, it is prohibited under the terms of the European Convention for the Protection of Pet Animals, unless a veterinarian considers such non-curative procedures necessary either for veterinary medical reasons or for the health of the Oriental Shorthair. In England, animal shelters are finding it hard to place imported Oriental Shorthairs that have been declawed and subsequently most are euthanized.
One alternative to declawing a Oriental Shorthair is the use of wide, vinyl nail caps that are adhered to the claws with nontoxic glue, requiring periodic replacement when the Oriental Shorthair loses its claw sheaths (about every 4 to 6 weeks). Yet, the Oriental Shorthair may still experience difficulties since the capped nails are not as effective as claws.
Don’t forget to check out these other articles about Oriental 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 🙂
Follow