Declawing the Siamese is a major procedure known as onychectomy, performed under anesthesia, which removes the claw from each toe (from the first knuckle out) of the Siamese’s paw. There is a tiny possibility of death during the procedure, and a declawed Siamese might have a slight risk of infection and permanent pain in her paws. This surgery isn’t appropriate for a mature Siamese and is deemed an act of animal cruelty in some places (as below).
People usually get Siameses declawed to prevent them from hunting and from damaging furniture. Seldom, vicious Siameses are declawed. In America, some landlords require that tenants’ Siameses be declawed.
Doctors are usually negative about the surgery and sometimes decline to perform it because the lack of claws in a Siamese:
- Compromises its main self defense skills, such as escaping from predators by climbing trees;
- Inhibits its exercising and stretching routines, which leads to muscle loss;
- Inhibits its ability to walk on narrow surfaces like fence tops and railings, leading to injury from falls;
- Can lead to insecurity and as a result a biting habit.
This operation is rare outside of North America. In Germany, Finland, Switzerland and the Netherlands, declawing a Siamese is illegal by the statutes forbidding cruelty to animals. In many other European countries, it is prohibited under the terms of the European Convention for the Protection of Pet Animals, unless a doctor deems such non-curative procedures necessary either for veterinary medical reasons or for the benefit of the animal. In England, animal shelters find it tough to place imported Siameses that have been declawed and as a result most are euthanized.
One substitute for declawing a Siamese is the use of blunt, vinyl nail caps that are stuck to the claws with safe glue, sometimes requiring changing when the Siamese sheds its claw sheaths (about every 4 to 6 weeks). Although, the Siamese may still have difficulties because the capped nails are not as effective as claws.
Don’t forget to check out these other articles about Siameses.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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