I cut my cats nails, now they are shredding and flaking, have I done something wrong?

Question

I trimmed my cats nails, and now a few of them have started flaking. I was careful not to cut too much off, do you think he is in pain?

Answer 1

No he shouldn't be in pain. The flaking is just the natural shedding of the top layer of the claw. The top layer sheds to help the nail grow, this is why you see cats clawing at things. Clawing helps remove this layer. You may need better nail clippers as well because decent nail clippers won't cause the nail to flake. The best cat nail trimmers look like this and can be purchased at any pet supply store.

http://www.pet-dog-cat-supply-store.com/shop/index.php?page=shop-flypage-11578-2fc060951b46527059f411f963e9f1e4&ps_session=7501c59d465b43b1731d89a3146526da

Answer 2

Probably not, cat's nails shed naturally when they scratch rough things (that's one of the reasons they use, hopefully, their scratching posts!) One thing that may have caused this is that your clippers may not have been sharp enough or the screw or bolt holding the blades together may not have been tight enough. Also, remember to cut the nails holding them sideways, so the blade doesn't crush the nail from the top and bottom. I have four cats, and between them I am cutting nails about every 3 days, and this has happened to me, too.

Answer 3

No, they're not in pain. It's all part of a natural process. You may notice kitty biting at his nails occasionally, this it to help the outer layer shed so the new layer can grow. It's like when our nails grow, we cut them - kitties shed them.

I'm forever finding shredded nail coverings in the carpet, esp around their scratching posts.

Answer 4

No, the cat is fine. Human nails can flake too...they are probably just a little dry.

Answer 5

No, it's just the dead skin part of the nail coming off. Sometimes you'll find that in the carpet after they've been scratching. It's just a dead coating, nothing to worry about.