Declawing the Ragamuffin is an intense operation called a onychectomy, performed using anesthesia, that eliminates the claw of each finger (from the first knuckle out) of the Ragamuffin’s paws. There’s a tiny chance of death during the procedure, and a declawed Ragamuffin may experience an increased risk of infection and perpetual displeasure in its paws. This procedure isn’t advised for a mature Ragamuffin and is labeled an act of animal cruelty in some countries (as below).
People generally get Ragamuffins declawed to impede them from damaging furniture and hunting. Rarely, vicious Ragamuffins are declawed. In America, some landlords demand that tenants’ Ragamuffins are declawed.
Animal doctors are typically negative about the surgery and many refuse to perform it since the lack of claws in a Ragamuffin:
- Reduces its main self defense abilities, such as escaping from predators by climbing trees;
- Deprives it of its stretching and exercise routines, which can lead to muscle atrophy;
- Deprives it of its ability to walk on thin surfaces like fence tops and railings, leading to injury from falling;
- Can cause insecurity and a subsequent tendency to bite.
This surgery is rarely performed outside of North America. In the Netherlands, Finland, Germany and Switzerland, declawing a Ragamuffin is not allowed by the statutes forbidding cruelty to animals. In many other European countries, it is illegal under the terms of the European Convention for the Protection of Pet Animals, unless a veterinarian considers such non-curative procedures necessary either for veterinary medical reasons or for the benefit of the Ragamuffin. In Britain, animal shelters are finding it difficult to place imported Ragamuffins that have been declawed and subsequently many are euthanized.
One substitute for declawing a Ragamuffin is the use of blunt, vinyl nail caps that are applied to the claws with safe glue, sometimes requiring replacement when the Ragamuffin loses its claw sheaths (about every four to six weeks). Yet, the Ragamuffin will still experience problems because the capped nails are not as effective as claws.
Don’t forget to check out these other articles about Ragamuffins.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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