Declawing the Exotic Shorthair is a major surgery known as onychectomy, performed under anesthesia, which eliminates the claw from each digit (from the first knuckle out) of the Exotic Shorthair’s paw. There is always a miniscule chance of death during the surgery, and a declawed Exotic Shorthair might have an increased risk of infection and permanent displeasure in her paws. This surgery is not suitable for an adult Exotic Shorthair and is considered an act of animal cruelty in some countries (as shown below).
Owners typically have Exotic Shorthairs declawed to stop them from damaging furniture and hunting. Rarely, vicious Exotic Shorthairs are declawed. In the US, some landlords require that residents’ Exotic Shorthairs be declawed.
Animal doctors are usually critical of the operation and at times decline to perform it since the absence of claws in a Exotic Shorthair:
- Inhibits its main self-protection abilities, such as escaping from predators by climbing trees;
- Hinders its stretching and exercise habits, which leads to muscle loss;
- Reduces its ability to walk on thin surfaces like fence tops and railings, which can lead to injury from falls;
- Can cause insecurity and a subsequent tendency to bite.
This procedure is rare outside of North America. In Germany, Finland, Switzerland and the Netherlands, declawing a Exotic Shorthair is not allowed by the laws forbidding animal cruelty. In many other countries in Europe, it is prohibited under the terms of the European Convention for the Protection of Pet Animals, unless a vet deems such non-curative procedures necessary either for veterinary medical reasons or for the health of the Exotic Shorthair. In the UK, animal shelters find it difficult to place imported Exotic Shorthairs that have been declawed and as a result most are euthanized.
An substitute for declawing a Exotic Shorthair is the application of blunt, vinyl claw caps that are adhered to the claws with harmless glue, sometimes requiring replacement when the Exotic Shorthair sheds its claw sheaths (about every 4 to 6 weeks). Although, the Exotic Shorthair may still experience difficulties because the capped nails are not as effective as claws.
Don’t forget to check out these other articles about Exotic 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 🙂
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