Declawing a Peterbald is an intense procedure called a onychectomy, performed using anesthesia, that removes the claw from each finger (from the first knuckle out) of the Peterbald’s paw. There is a miniscule possibility of death during the surgery, and a declawed Peterbald might experience an increased risk of infection and perpetual displeasure in its paws. This surgery is not recommended for an adult Peterbald and is considered an act of animal cruelty in some countries (below).
Owners typically have Peterbalds declawed to impede them from hunting and from damaging furniture. Seldom, vicious Peterbalds are declawed. In the United States, some landlords demand that tenants’ Peterbalds are declawed.
Veterinarians are typically negative about the surgery and many refuse to do it because the absence of claws in a Peterbald:
- Compromises its primary self-protection abilities, like running away from predators by climbing trees;
- Reduces its exercising and stretching habits, which can lead to muscle atrophy;
- Impairs its ability to walk on narrow surfaces such as fence tops and railings, which can lead to injury from falling;
- Can cause insecurity and a subsequent biting habit.
The surgery is rare outside of North America. In Switzerland, the Netherlands, Germany and Finland, declawing a Peterbald is not allowed per the statutes 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 deems such non-curative procedures beneficial either for veterinary medical reasons or for the health of the Peterbald. In Britain, animal shelters are finding it difficult to place imported Peterbalds that have been declawed and as a result most are killed.
An alternative to declawing a Peterbald is the use of dull, vinyl claw caps that are applied to the claws with safe glue, sometimes requiring replacement when the Peterbald loses its claw sheaths (about every four to six weeks). Yet, the Peterbald may still experience problems because the capped nails are not as effective as claws.
Don’t forget to check out these other articles about Peterbalds.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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