Please HELP. My cat won't stop chewing on his Claws!!!?

Question

Please HELP. My cat won't stop chewing on his Claws!!!?
I don't know what I should do. It looks painful. One of his claws recently broke near the base. It doesn't seem to be tender or hurting him at all but they are just so short.



By the way he has plenty of toys that he plays with and he is not stressed or nervous what so ever he is the MOST laid back cat I have ever seen.

Yes he has a girlfriend. They love each other!

Answer 1

I had a cat that refused to use a scratching post (I think he was terrified of scratching anything by an abusive prior owner) so instead of scratching, he'd remove the old claws by biting like your cat.
Claws are constantly growing, which is one of the reasons cats need to scratch. When a claw gets old and dull, a new one that's growing underneath pushes off the old one, but needs help. That broken claw might just be an old claw sheath. However, if your cat is bleeding from the claws, then he's definitely biting them too far and is causing himself harm. If that's the case, bring him to a vet. If he's just removing old claw sheaths, you could help him out by snipping his claws (carefully, you don't want to cut so far that you hit that pink area at the base) so they aren't uncomfortable for him. When I first got my cat, his claws has gone unattended for so long that they had curled back and were about to pierce his pads! So caring for the claws is a good thing.

Answer 2

You say it looks painful, yet it doesn't seem to be tender or hurting him. Well, have you ever heard the phrase "if it ain't broke, don't fix it?". He just may be trimming his nails his own way, rather than waiting for you to do so. They would be too short if he chewed enough off to make them bleed.

If you feel this behavior is too strange, bring him in for a health check to assure that all is well. Some cats have allergies and many times, the paws are a trigger spot on them. If there are allergies, your vet can discuss with you the possibilities.

Good luck.

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Answer 3

Was he chewing at his claws, as you say, before it broke? In other words, was the chewing the cause of the breakage or is it the result? Most cats lick and sometimes chew at their paws (between the pads and toes) as part of their normal cleaning routine, so unless you are seeing evidence that he is actually hurting himself, like the area is chapped, raw or bleeding, or he's limping on it, I really wouldn't worry about it. If it really wigs you out, by all means take him to the vet and get him tested for skin issues, and have the vet show you how to trim his claws, but if you don't see evidence that he's hurting himself, I wouldn't worry about it.

Answer 4

try to pick up your cat and try to clean each paw with soap and water when cats use the litter box they get some of the litter inside the paws near the base of the claw and it does hurt them when they gnaw on the paws etc. its very painful for the cats because the litter cares parasites

Answer 5

does he have a play mate??
he sounds VERY well taken care of, but if a cat gets lonely, along with birds, they tend to pluck their feathers or bite themselves.
It could be itching him, so you may want to have it checked out professionally first, better safe than sorry! :]

Answer 6

Have you contacted a vet?
If not, please ask them. They would know best what do about this.

Kitties are special, and you want to do what is best for it, I am sure.