Overgrown & Ingrown Claws

A cat’s claws grow continuously throughout life, much like our own nails, and in a healthy, active cat they are kept in check without any help from us. Scratching on posts and rough surfaces strips away the worn outer sheaths and exposes the sharp new claw beneath, while normal daily activity wears the tips down. Problems begin when this natural upkeep can no longer keep pace with growth, and the claws become too long.

An overly long claw first becomes a nuisance — it clicks on hard floors, snags in carpet and fabric, and can make walking awkward. Because a cat’s claws are curved, an untrimmed one does not simply keep growing outward; it arcs round in a circle back towards the foot. Left long enough, the tip presses into the soft pad and eventually pierces it, creating a painful, often infected wound. The dewclaw, sitting up on the inner side of the leg where nothing wears it down, is the classic culprit, curling into the skin if it is never trimmed.

This is overwhelmingly a condition of older, less active cats, and of any cat whose movement is limited by arthritis, obesity or illness. These cats scratch less, move less and groom less, so their claws quietly overgrow — a problem that is easy to overlook under furry paws until a limp or a snag draws attention to it. It is a good reason to make handling the feet and checking the claws a routine part of caring for a senior cat.

The good news is that overgrown claws are both easy to prevent and easy to treat. A regular trim with proper feline nail clippers, keeping clear of the sensitive pink quick, keeps everything comfortable; if you are not confident, a vet or veterinary nurse can do it and show you how. Where a claw has already grown into the pad, veterinary attention is needed to free it, treat the wound and manage any infection, after which a simple ongoing trimming routine prevents it happening again.