Declawing the Oriental Longhair is a major procedure known as onychectomy, performed under anesthesia, that eliminates the claw of each toe (from the first knuckle out) of the Oriental Longhair’s paw. There is a slight chance of death in the operation, and a declawed Oriental Longhair may have a slight risk of infection and perpetual pain in her paws. This procedure is not appropriate for a full-grown Oriental Longhair and is considered an act of animal cruelty in some places (as below).
Owners usually get Oriental Longhairs declawed to stop them from damaging furniture and hunting. Rarely, vicious Oriental Longhairs are declawed. In the US, some landlords require that residents’ Oriental Longhairs be declawed.
Animal doctors are usually critical of the operation and many refuse to perform it since the lack of claws in a Oriental Longhair:
- Hinders its primary self-protection abilities, including running away from predators by climbing trees;
- Deprives it of its stretching and exercise routines, leading to muscle loss;
- Compromises its ability to balance on thin surfaces such as railings and fence tops, leading to injury from falls;
- Can cause insecurity and a subsequent biting habit.
The operation is not common outside of North America. In Finland, Germany, the Netherlands and Switzerland, declawing a Oriental Longhair is forbidden by the laws against cruelty to animals. In many other European countries, it is not allowed 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 health of the Oriental Longhair. In England, animal shelters are finding it hard to place imported Oriental Longhairs that have been declawed and as a result many are killed.
One substitute for declawing a Oriental Longhair is the application of blunt, vinyl nail caps that are attached to the claws with harmless glue, sometimes requiring changing when the Oriental Longhair loses its claw sheaths (about every 4 to 6 weeks). Although, the Oriental Longhair may still experience difficulties because the capped nails are not as effective as claws.
Don’t forget to check out these other articles about Oriental Longhairs.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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