Onychectomy is the act of surgically removing the claws, most often of a household cat, though occasionally of other animals such as circus lions or dancing bears. This process involves amputating the entire end digit, or bone, on the animal's toes, under anaesthesia, and is popularly known as declawing.

The incidence of declawing varies widely from country to country. In the United States and Canada, it is widespread, although precise figures are hard to come by and there is considerable variation within North America. It is a controversial subject, and often causes heated debate between those who believe it is cruel and that owners who declaw are putting the health of their furniture before that of their cat, and those who argue that declawing is better option in some cases than sending a cat to a shelter where it may be euthanised. A few places, such as West Hollywood, have outlawed the practice entirely, but this is not a common occurrence. ^*

In the United Kingdom, declawing is extremely uncommon, to the extent that most people have never seen a declawed cat. The procedure is considered cruel by almost all British vets, who refuse to perform it except for medical reasons. The "Mutilations report" found in an annex of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons' Guide to Professional Conduct states: