Why is my cat’s nail shedding? (6 Reasons why)

Cat nail sheaths may be discovered on the carpet or any other location where their cat might have been.

When a claw is shed, it will be in the form of a Claw with an empty aspect. Cat claws’ shedding is an unavoidable occurrence.

As your cat’s nail grows beyond its blood supply, the outer layer of the claw, which is very similar to the fingernail on humans, will start to separate from its underlying systems.

Cat nails are fast-growing due to their quick metabolism rate and protect the cat’s walking footpads.

It’s ended up being a usual sight in many houses of a stray or abandoned feline claw sheath found around home carpets.

This is the usual factor that makes people ask, “why is my cat shedding his or her claws?”

If you discover accumulated claw sheaths in your garden, this could be a wonderful indicator of an exterior cat.

What do I need to know?

It’s important to learn about why cats shed claws and what exactly occurs when they shed claws however first off, we need to talk about the material that comprises a cat’s claw.

The outer covering of each claw is called the nail sheath. If you see one, it’s like seeing the pink part of your fingernail that covers your actual nails.

The nails are produced by keratinizing cells (corneal cells), which are on the external border of the nail bed.

These cells get closer together towards the base of the claw and get longer, resulting in a hardened nail.

If these cells don’t get an ample supply of blood flow, the nails won’t develop correctly or may possibly fall apart.

Since cats’ nails grow so rapidly, this is not really a problem in cats.

The sheathing of each claw is determined by skin cells that are influenced by blood flow.

The blood system in this area is appropriately available in kittens but will diminish when the kitten reaches adulthood.

This happens to all cats at some point, not only strays!

Shedding claws may be simply seen in younger cats due to their quick metabolism rate.

Tips for nail shedding in cats

As is the case with most problems, there is no single reason why cats shed their nails. But it’s possible to narrow down potential causes based on symptoms that you see in your pet cat.

Here are some things to remember when figuring out claw sheathing:

Medical conditions

Medical conditions can lead to your feline friend losing his or her claws early.

A lack of blood circulation due to anemia, arthritis, injury or any other number of conditions might result in unusual nail sheath loss.

Lack of protein

Lack of protein can be another reason why your cats lose their nails.

If your kitty is not getting enough protein in his or her diet, the cat’s nails won’t grow properly since protein is what tissues are made of.

Cataract surgery

Even if it does not affect the total look of the feline’s claws, some cats may lose all of their nails (and also hair) following cataract surgery.

And the nails will grow back again in time, but there may be a chance that they won’t look exactly how they used to look before the surgery and shedding occurred.

Genetic defects

Genetic defects can cause your kitty’s claws to lose.

While it is possible for this problem to crop up suddenly and unexpectedly, it is not common.

However, if you notice that your cat’s nails and hair are in bad shape and just never seem to improve, you should take him or her in for a check-up so the vet can determine whether or not there may be an underlying issue influencing this problem.

Scratching litterboxes/carpeting

Scratching and clawing is normal behavior for cats, who like to mark their territory.

However, if your kitty does not have enough things in his or her environment that he or she can scratch at will, this might lead to them scratching other things in the area such as carpets and furniture.

This may eventually lead to the cat’s nails sheathing early since there is nothing for them to scratch at.

No matter what the cause of this issue may be, it is probably best to take your kitty in for a check-up so he or she can get proper treatment and start living a healthy lifestyle again.

This way you will know if there are any underlying medical conditions that are causing this problem.

If there is not, then you will be able to figure out the cause yourself and fix it so your fur baby can start living once again!

Conclusion

Although it is normal for cats to shed their nails every now and again, if they are constantly sheathing their claws too early you should schedule an appointment with your veterinarian.

The vet will determine the cause of the issue and how to go about fixing it to help ensure that your cat remains healthy and happy!