Declawing a Russian Tabby is an intense surgery known as onychectomy, performed with anesthesia, that removes the claw of each finger (from the first knuckle out) of the Russian Tabby’s paws. There’s a tiny possibility of a fatality during the procedure, and a declawed Russian Tabby may experience an increased risk of infection and permanent discomfort in her paws. This operation is not suitable for an adult Russian Tabby and is called an act of animal cruelty in some regions (as below).
People usually have Russian Tabbys declawed to stop them from damaging furniture and hunting. Rarely, vicious Russian Tabbys are declawed. In the United States, some landlords demand that tenants’ Russian Tabbys be declawed.
Doctors are usually critical of the operation and at times decline to do it because the lack of claws in a Russian Tabby:
- Impairs its primary self-protection skills, such as running away from predators by climbing trees;
- Hinders its stretching and exercise routines, which leads to muscle atrophy;
- Hampers its ability to balance on thin surfaces such as railings and fence tops, leading to injury from falling;
- Can cause insecurity and as a result a biting habit.
The surgery is not common outside of North America. In Switzerland, the Netherlands, Germany and Finland, declawing a Russian Tabby is illegal per the statutes forbidding animal cruelty. In many other European countries, it is prohibited under the terms of the European Convention for the Protection of Pet Animals, unless a doctor considers such non-curative procedures necessary either for veterinary medical reasons or for the benefit of the animal. In Britain, animal shelters are finding it tough to place imported Russian Tabbys that have been declawed and subsequently most are euthanized.
One alternative to declawing a Russian Tabby is the use of dull, vinyl claw caps that are adhered to the claws with safe glue, sometimes requiring replacement when the Russian Tabby sheds its claw sheaths (about every four to six weeks). Although, the Russian Tabby will still experience difficulties because the capped nails are not as effective as claws.
Don’t forget to check out these other articles about Russian Tabbys.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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