If you can’t find the right treatment to control and recovery the nail biting habit of your cat then must read this informational guide to figure out the right reason why is my cat biting his nails. Here you will also learn some bonus guides, to treat and recover your cat from this condition.
Most cat owners never take this habit seriously and when they notice some dangerous health issues in their kitties, they try to approach the top feline veterinarian in their area. Why not control this disorder in your cats with natural treatment and devote your little time to help your kitty friend recover from this habit?
Keep reading to learn all these important aspects of cat biting nails and its recovery practices:
Nail Biting in Cats – A Quick Answer from our Specialist Vet
The cats will bite or chew their nails for self-grooming purposes. Some cats are irritated, if any unwanted object gets stuck in their claws others want to expose the outer layer of their claws on their nail origins. Of course, you can’t stop your cat from chewing in these scenarios.
However, if you see any fungal infection or skin inflammation in your cat, then you should immediately approach your nearest vet for treatment and devote your free time to recover your cat from this bad habit.
Is it Normal for a Cat to Bite its Nails?
Biting and chewing are routine thing in cats but seems a bad behavior in all animals. Most cats start practicing this self-grooming habit of their nails and chews them regularly. The cats also lick their claws to remove unwanted objects or debris as they irritate them.
However, if you notice your cat bites his nails excessively for no reason, then this can be a medical issue. Although it’s quite a common habit in animals. In the feline case, you should be more careful and closely observe this nail biting habit of your kitty friend. Sometimes, the kitties leave this habit at a younger age and return to normal. In this case, you shouldn’t take it seriously and never think of any treatment of these cats.
Why is My Cat Biting his Nails – 9 Major Reasons
Now let’s figure out some of the main causes of why do cats chew on their nails. This behavior in kitties may be due to self-grooming habits but there are plenty of other reasons too which lead to excessive nail biting and chewing. There may be some sort of anxiety about this abnormal behavior or other cats bite their nails due to some health issue.
Don’t need to confuse about all these issues; here, our expert vet will show you nine main reasons of a cat chewing on nails:
1. Pemphigus
Starting with a medical issue of this abnormal act; Pemphigus is actually a skin disease that is mostly associated with cats. They will feel irritation on their face, ears, claws, and other sensitive parts of their body. The targeted location of this disease is nails and claws, and you will see excessive cat nail biting.
2. Ringworm
Ringworm is another common skin disease in felines and will take some time to recover. Some cats pick this disease from the soil. As it is a fungal infection so it will affect the hair and skin. You will notice hair loss and infected claws and your cat start biting his nails to get rid of this disease.
3. Yeast Infections
The yeast and bacterial infections also damage the claws of most kitties. This type of impurities started in cats from home floors and the nasty cleaners that you are using on your floor surfaces for cleaning purposes. The bottom layer of cat claws touches the ground in routine and normal infections will lead to some serious skin diseases in cats. You can’t treat them with routine grooming and need special care and medication to recover your cat from them.
4. Skin Inflammation
Constant nibbling and biting will lead to skin inflammation and redness as well. If the cat owners can’t tackle these dreadful diseases on time, then they might need some surgical intervention for their kitties.
The skin inflammation also stops nail growth in some cats or damages the tissues in the cat claws. If you notice any swelling around the nails or claws of your cat then you should immediately consult with your nearest vet.
5. Brittle and Thick Nails
The nails of older cats will get thick and hard, which is quite difficult to trim. Your cat may feel intense pain in their claws or nails due to this tumor. If your cat is biting and chewing its nails at a younger age, then there is a certain chance that you will see this skin disease later. The cat owners need to detect this bug earlier for the right treatment and a quick recovery.
6. Revealing New Claw Layers
The outer layer of cat claws will wear out at earlier ages. The kitties are also keen to display the outer layers of their claws. Excessive licking and nail biting will do this job rather nicely and will scratch out the top layer. It will also introduce sharper and clean nails in your kitty. As a pet owner, you shouldn’t need to worry much about it and allow your cats to reveal the new skin layer of their claws.
7. Frustrated with Debris
Sometimes, your cat will feel irritation with debris in their claws. Even if some unwanted object is stuck in their feet, then they will get frustrated very quickly. Resulting in continuous claws and nail chewing.
It’s the responsibility of pet owners to make a routine of their cat’s grooming for cleanliness. You also need to avoid some hazardous infections in claws that can be caused due to nasty soils or dirt particles.
8. Try to Reduce the Stress
Your cat may occasionally bite their nails and claws due to some anxiety. They try to reduce this stress and do nail biting; some cats also get angry very quickly and it will become so difficult to catch these cats. This behavioral issue can be reduced with some natural sedation method. You can take your cat for a walk, increase the playtime, or even give some lovely cuddles to your kitty friend e to take this stressful situation out of their mind.
9. Routine Nail Chewing Habit
Don’t need to think about nail chewing or biting critically because it can be just a routine habit in your kitties. There is a certain chance that your kitty will forget this habit with the passage of time. The cats are sensitive creatures and adopt plenty of behavioral habits without any reason and leave the bad habits quickly.
Many cat breeds have self-grooming habits and try to trim their nails or pull out the fur from their claws with their teeth. You just need to focus on your cat’s nail biting schedule and discourage it to become a compulsive habit.
How to Diagnosis the Right Nail Biting Habit in your Cat?
After understanding the major causes of why is my cat biting his nails, now you should diagnose them in your own cats as well. You have to continuously monitor the paw pads of your kitties and analyze the schedule of a cat chewing and biting.
It’s a great idea to include this habit in the medical history of your cat’s vet. It will help you to remind the schedule easily and the vet will also handle the treatment in a better way. Some cat chewing infections need this history with a physical examination. If your cat is regularly scraping its skin, then your vet will definitely ask for its older medical history.
As a cat owner, if you have any doubt about the skin infection in your cat’s claws due to chewing or biting, then you can also determine it from the vet’s lab to stop any kind of fungal or yeast infections in future.
Treatment of Nail Biting Disorder
Is nail biting in cats a natural behavior? It is a routine habit in most cats. However in some cases, you need special treatments to recover your kitty friend from this disease.
The solutions to this bad habit are of course endless. Similarly, you have to adopt some kind of medicated treatment as well for your cat to get rid of this disorder. Your kitty will return to normal if you choose the right treatment. Make sure that there should be no risk of any other health issue or disorder after recovering your cat from this bad habit.
Some skin diseases in the cat’s claws will stop the growth of nails and damage its root. If there is skin inflammation or any other kind of fungal infection built with this cat chew habit then you should immediately start oral medication instead of the getting the situation worst which only requires surgical intervention to regrow the nails in your kitty friend.
Helping your Cat to Recover from this Bad Habit
In most cases, your cat will start recovering from this disease in two to four weeks. The skin treatment or its course and some serious surgeries may take more time.
Here you will get some more recovery tips that will surely help cat owners to get back their pets to normal routine from cat chewing nails habit:
- Your kitty can recover very soon from this cat biting habit if you reduce the stress and provide a positive living environment. It will also discourage this cat bite or any other bad habit in your cats in the future as well.
- You have to regularly visit the vet even in recovery time as well. You can get a piece of good advice to improve the health of your cat more quickly with this a schedule visit to vet.
- Take care of your cat’s nails and claws. Also, trim them in time in the recovery phase or any skin disease of their claws.
- It’s the responsibility of pet owners to provide stimulation to their cats. You should also take your cat for an outdoor walk and make a daily playtime routine with them to recover quickly.
- Must notice the interaction of your kitty with other cats. Sometimes, the pets adopt the bad habits from other animals very quickly.
- You have to make a strong routine for your cat and try to stick to it, especially in the cat bite recovery phase. If your kitty friend is gone through a medication course, then must give the recommended dose to your cat on time.
A Few Common Questions to Ask
Why is my cat biting and pulling his nails?
Almost all cats bite and pull their nails just to remove the outer layer of their claws. They tried to expose the sharper part of their claws which is underneath this particular outer layer.
Do cats trim their own nails by biting them?
The Kitties love to groom! They try to remove debris and other unwanted objects from their claws, they start biting them. If the nails get longer, then your cat will definitely try to trim them by chewing and biting.
How often should you trim your cat’s nails?
The most common nail trimming schedule is every week or two. It will also reduce the chewing and biting habits in the cat. The nail growth rate of kittens is faster, so you must consider a nail clipping session for them every week. The nails of older cats will grow slowly, so their nails won’t trouble you for a month or so.
Do long nails hurt cats?
The long and curve nails will cause significant pain in the whole claw of your kitties. They will surely feel uncomfortable while walking which often leads to some serious health issues. You must schedule regular nail trimming sessions for your cat to avoid all these complications.
How do you know if your cat has anxiety?
Some major signs of cat anxiety are vocalization, restlessness, decreased appetite, hiding, and nail biting. All these stress symbols can easily be noticed in all cat breeds. The cat owners should help their pets to remove all types of anxieties from them.
What happens if you don’t trim your cat’s nails?
If you skip a few nail trimming sessions with your kitty, then you will quickly see curled nails. This may lead to intense pain in the foot pad of your cat. If these curved nails touch the surface, then they will surely mark ugly scratches on your luxurious flooring as well. It’s a good practice to trim the nails of your cats in the right routine to avoid these mishaps.
When you Ask your Vet about your Cat’s Nail Biting – Final Thoughts
Cats love self-grooming but excessive nail biting may lead to some serious infections or health issues with your kitty friend. It is so important to notice all the abnormal habits in your cats. It will help you to get the right solution before any hazardous situation.
On the funnier side, the cat shown in the following video has the habit of biting and chewing his nails; don’t need to take it seriously:
Normal grooming sessions are not enough to get rid of these nail biting or chewing habits in cats. As a pet owner, you have to diagnose the right cause of this claw and nail disorder activity and apply the best treatment to resolve it. Finally, helping your cat to recover from this syndrome will surely give you a perfect feeling of being a satisfied cat owner.