Declawing a Egyptian Mau is an intense procedure called a onychectomy, performed using anesthesia, which removes the claw of each finger (from the first knuckle out) of the Egyptian Mau’s paws. There is a remote possibility of a fatality in the operation, and a declawed Egyptian Mau might have a slight risk of infection and perpetual discomfort in its paws. This operation is not advised for an adult Egyptian Mau and is considered an act of animal cruelty in some places (shown below).
Owners usually get Egyptian Maus declawed to hinder them from hunting and from damaging furniture. Rarely, vicious Egyptian Maus are declawed. In America, some landlords require that tenants’ Egyptian Maus are declawed.
Veterinarians are generally negative about the surgery and at times decline to do it since the absence of claws in a Egyptian Mau:
- Compromises its primary self-protection skills, such as escaping from predators by climbing trees;
- Hinders its stretching and exercise habits, which leads to muscle loss;
- Compromises its ability to walk on narrow surfaces such as railings and fence tops, which can lead to injury from falls;
- Can lead to insecurity and as a result a biting habit.
This operation is not common outside of North America. In the Netherlands, Finland, Germany and Switzerland, declawing a Egyptian Mau is illegal by the laws forbidding animal cruelty. In many other European countries, it is not allowed 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 Egyptian Mau. In Britain, animal shelters are finding it hard to place imported Egyptian Maus that have been declawed and subsequently most are killed.
An substitute for declawing a Egyptian Mau is the application of blunt, vinyl nail caps that are adhered to the claws with harmless glue, sometimes requiring replacement when the Egyptian Mau sheds its claw sheaths (about every 4 to 6 weeks). However, the Egyptian Mau will still have difficulties since the capped nails are not as effective as claws.
Don’t forget to check out these other articles about Egyptian Maus.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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