Declawing a Colorpoint Shorthair is a major operation called a onychectomy, performed under anesthesia, that removes the claw from each digit (from the first knuckle out) of the Colorpoint Shorthair’s forepaws. There’s a miniscule chance of a fatality during the procedure, and a declawed Colorpoint Shorthair may have an increased risk of infection and life-long pain in his paws. This surgery isn’t recommended for an adult Colorpoint Shorthair and is called an act of animal cruelty in some regions (see below).
People typically get Colorpoint Shorthairs declawed to stop them from hunting and from damaging furniture. Seldom, vicious Colorpoint Shorthairs are declawed. In America, some landlords demand that tenants’ Colorpoint Shorthairs be declawed.
Veterinarians are typically critical of the operation and many refuse to do it because the absence of claws in a Colorpoint Shorthair:
- Deprives it of its primary self-protection abilities, including running away from predators by climbing trees;
- Hampers its stretching and exercise habits, which can lead to muscle loss;
- Reduces its ability to walk on narrow surfaces like railings and fence tops, which can lead to injury from falls;
- Can lead to insecurity and a subsequent tendency to bite.
The operation is rare outside of North America. In Germany, Finland, Switzerland and the Netherlands, declawing a Colorpoint Shorthair is illegal by the laws against animal cruelty. In many other European countries, 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 health of the Colorpoint Shorthair. In the UK, animal shelters are finding it tough to place imported Colorpoint Shorthairs that have been declawed and as a result most are killed.
One alternative to declawing a Colorpoint Shorthair is the use of wide, vinyl claw caps that are adhered to the claws with safe glue, requiring periodic changing when the Colorpoint Shorthair sheds its claw sheaths (about every four to six weeks). However, the Colorpoint Shorthair will still experience difficulties because the capped nails are not as effective as claws.
Don’t forget to check out these other articles about Colorpoint 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