Onychectomy – in some countries, this operation is called “soft paws” (such a cute name for the procedure, isn’t it? ) – they do it to cats who tear furniture or like to scratch their hands, and sometimes just for the sake of “aesthetics”. And this is not some kind of manicure for you. The procedure does not involve cutting the claws, but the complete removal of the claw phalanges at least on the front paws. In many European countries, this operation is prohibited by law. The severe consequences of such a serious intervention in the cat’s body have not only the opposite effect — the animal becomes even more aggressive and can start biting — but also permanently leave the pet crippled. Claw phalanges hardly heal, sometimes grow back, and recovery is accompanied by wild pain. Too often, after surgery, inflammation, suppuration, joint deformity, arthritis, arthrosis, loss of mobility and other serious problems begin.
Veterinarians themselves are categorically against carrying out this operation, although the demand from “lovers” of cats for it is quite high. Many cat owners, including Maine Coon owners, simply do not realize the level of cruelty and the severity of the consequences.
Doctors explain that after removing the claws, the animal will never be able to escape from anyone in case of a threat — neither climb a tree, nor run along a fence, that is, you will definitely not let the cat out into the street. In addition to problems with self-defense, the animal basically loses the ability to move normally. Often veterinarians, trying to dissuade “lovers” of cats from a cruel procedure, offer people to imagine how they would feel if the phalanges of their fingers were cut off along with their nails for beauty and complaisance.
One of the veterinarians in general compared the surgical operation to remove claws in cats (or onychectomy) with the “circumcision” of toes in humans. Here ‘s what he wrote:
“Cats walk on their paws and use them like we do with our feet, not with our hands. So imagine your feelings if you have to stand on severed toes, put them in shoes and walk on them! Just think about what kind of suffering you are causing the animal: if all his fingers have been chopped off, it is impossible even to walk banally.”
This operation is generally quite complicated, which is why various complications are almost guaranteed and cases of irreparable harm to the cat’s health are not uncommon. Often inexperienced and even experienced surgeons make mistakes when cutting off the cat’s phalanges — and an infection gets into the wound. These sores, in principle, are very bad and take a long time to heal. In addition, it often happens that during the operation, the phalanges are not cut off completely and the claws begin to grow again, causing terrible torment to the animal. After such an intervention, the seams often diverge, which requires further special treatment and treatment. Many owners neglect this, and as a result, the animal remains disabled.
Here is a list of sores that is guaranteed to your Main Coon after such an execution:
- joint deformity
- arthritis and arthrosis
- phantom pains
If there is parquet or laminate on the floor in your house, after the operation to remove the claws, the deformation of the joints of the cat is inevitable, because they will not be able to walk on such a covering normally anymore. Phantom pains persist constantly and greatly disturb the animal, which is why the most important skills for its development and vital activity are lost. For example, a pet can no longer play, which means that it can develop normally. Due to the loss of the ability to move normally, cats subsequently often have problems with joints – arthritis and arthrosis.
Do you still want to perform this operation on your Main Coon???
Please note that in pet stores, elastic caps / covers are presented in a large assortment, which are attached to the claws of cats and protect you and your house from scratches for 2 to 6 weeks. Caps are the best alternative to claw removal surgery. They are easy to put on and quickly fixed with a special glue included in the kit.