Declawing a Pixie-bob is a major procedure called a onychectomy, performed under anesthesia, that eliminates the claw from each digit (from the first knuckle out) of the Pixie-bob’s paw. There is always a remote possibility of a fatality during the surgery, and a declawed Pixie-bob might experience a slight risk of infection and permanent pain in its paws. This operation isn’t suitable for an adult Pixie-bob and is considered an act of animal cruelty in some countries (as below).
People generally get Pixie-bobs declawed to impede them from hunting and from damaging furniture. Rarely, vicious Pixie-bobs are declawed. In America, some landlords demand that residents’ Pixie-bobs be declawed.
Doctors are usually critical of the procedure and some refuse to do it since the absence of claws in a Pixie-bob:
- Inhibits its main defense skills, like escaping from predators by climbing trees;
- Compromises its exercising and stretching routines, leading to muscle loss;
- Reduces its ability to balance on narrow surfaces such as fence tops and railings, leading to injury from falling;
- Can lead to insecurity and a subsequent tendency to bite.
This procedure is rarely performed outside of North America. In Switzerland, the Netherlands, Germany and Finland, declawing a Pixie-bob is illegal by the laws forbidding cruelty to animals. In many other European countries, it is illegal 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 Pixie-bob. In Britain, animal shelters are finding it hard to place imported Pixie-bobs that have been declawed and as a result most are euthanized.
One substitute for declawing a Pixie-bob is the application of blunt, vinyl claw caps that are attached to the claws with nontoxic glue, requiring periodic changing when the Pixie-bob sheds its claw sheaths (about every 4 to 6 weeks). Yet, the Pixie-bob may still experience difficulties since the capped nails are not as effective as claws.
Don’t forget to check out these other articles about Pixie-bobs.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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