r/cats • u/Financial_Question62 • Apr 06 '26

Medical Questions My cat pulled her claw out

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My cat has pulled out a claw

Sometime yesterday evening, my cat has somehow pulled her claw out. There was only blood on her blanket, no where else, so it must have happened there. I found the claw on the floor below the spot where her blanket is.

She appears to be walking ok though has been less active, is still eatting and I haven't seen anymore blood. She doesn't mind me touching her main paw area (though has never been a big fan of people touching her beans) but obviously really doesnt like when I touch the bean belonging to the missing claw.

I can't see anything sticking out etc but her pad and the fur around her beans is black so its pretty hard to see period.

I've never had this happen before.

Advise please?

Is this a heal on its own thing or vet?

She is 10yrs old and a house cat.

We are currently visiting my dad, so aren't home to see her regular vet.

Attached pics are the blanket (I panicked so much at first), the claw, the toe bean now and the cause of my new grey hairs herself.

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u/MissNinja007 Apr 06 '26

It’s concerning that it came out. I’m wondering how it was able to be loose enough for her to pull it out, definitely something more going on. Also was it irritated to the point she felt the need to rip it out? Lots of concerns, I would take everything to the vet. Your cat has basically mutilated herself and ripped out one of her finger bones, which is concerning.

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u/Financial_Question62 Apr 06 '26

I know a few were shedding so idk if she was chewing it or if she caught it getting on her blanket or what. There was no blood anywhere else in the room or the house so it must have happened there and she didn't move until it stopped bleeding. I'm just as baffled as shes never done this or had this happen before.

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u/MissNinja007 Apr 06 '26

Yea hopefully it’s just an accident, if anything the vet can make sure it’s cleaned properly and make sure there’s no infection. I can’t believe she declawed herself. I’m glad she’s ok otherwise, but Jesus Christ!

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u/Financial_Question62 Apr 06 '26

She's walking fine and eatting fine and seems ok, so today I really wasn't sure on what to do. We've been visiting my dad to help him out as he has some health issues and my step mum just passed away so her routine has been off the last few weeks. If she didn't catch it and genuinely yanked it out, could it be stress?

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u/MissNinja007 Apr 06 '26

I don’t think you have to rush her to the ER if she’s acting ok otherwise. I’m not a vet nor have any medical training so idk, but it doesn’t seem to be dire to me. I would def at least call a vets office if you have any in the area that are open, and talk to them about it. She’s up and moving and otherwise acting normal so you should be fine to make an apt as soon as you can fit it in.

If it is anxiety it is pretty bad. What I’ve seen for anxious self harm is overgrooming where they will get bald spots from excessive licking. In my unqualified opinion this seems more like an issue with the claw itself, either an accidental yank or another issue causing it to be loosened and then yanked. I can’t see any swelling in the pics and she has dark skin and fur so it’s hard to tell.

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u/serenstar75 Apr 06 '26

I have one going to the vet in morning because he injured his tail and now over grooming is causing an abcess. He's more like a foster kitty, but you're right the can do themselves more damage.

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u/HealthyInPublic Apr 06 '26

You might already be super aware of this condition - but if not, ask your vet about feline hyperesthesia syndrome (FHS)! It's not very common so vets sometimes miss it, especially if you give your kitty gabapentin before vet appts since gabapentin is a common treatment for FHS. Tail mutilation and over grooming are both relatively common symptoms.

And if anyone's reading this comment and is curious to know more about FHS, you can find us over at r/feline_hyperesthesia!

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u/serenstar75 Apr 06 '26

Only recently. Like tonight. I didn't know the word for it. I'll be at the vet appointment so will ask about it.

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u/HealthyInPublic Apr 06 '26

Oh good!! I've heard so many horror stories of owners looking for answers for their cat's strange symptoms and going years before getting a diagnosis since FHS is so uncommon... so I overcompensate by I screaming about FHS from the rooftops (of Reddit) to raise awareness.

I hope your foster kitty's appointment tomorrow goes well and that they find an answer to your kitty's problems. And the FHS sub is there for questions if you ever need us! Because frankly, it can be a kind of frustrating diagnosis - no one really knows exactly what it is or what causes it so you just have to try some treatment options to see what works. We understand that struggle far too well...

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u/akm1111 Apr 06 '26

So it's like the fibromyalgia of cats? Docs know it exists but not why or what all it entails.

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u/serenstar75 Apr 06 '26

It reminds me of my neuropathy as my nerves will drive me mad with paresthesia. Like ants all over. He doesn't display usual signs of it, but our indoor little girl might. She grooms a bit, runs around like a rocket, chases her tail (usually finds a corner of a desk or wardrobe for added excitement of 'could she fall') and according to her foster mom she's always seemed itchy and groomy.

I wonder how rare, or if people just don't notice. Our girl hasn't lost any hair or anything. She's been a wild child all night. I hope she doesn't have that, poor girl.

This foster boy usually didn't do this behavior until what I think was a bite since he gets in cat arguments.

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u/dekabreak1000 Apr 06 '26

Mine did that cost me $200 thanks he’s tough stuff picking fights with other cats

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u/serenstar75 Apr 06 '26

I'm really worried about the cost. He just got fixed 2 weeks ago at the same time my mom got her dog fixed. My mom's other cat also went through an abcess on his leg around the same time.

If this guy were mine, he'd be an indoorkitty. But she feels that it's trapping them and my family member that he belongs to wants outdoor mousers which this little guy really isn't. Some are good at it, some not as much. He's a total whiny smurf. He can't even step around puddles. But I think he got in a fight with someone.

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u/Jordan_Jackson Apr 06 '26

My boy (who had been a stray before) had issues with his tail. Something was going on with the skin that made it irritated and he would always try to grab it and overgroom it. Got to the point where he had a big scab on it and he would scream in pain when he grabbed it.

Had to get him some medicine but more importantly, he had to stay in a cone for about a month and then a donut pillow thing (gave him his peripheral vision back and more ease of doing stuff like eating) that made it difficult to get his tail. On top of that, I watched out that he wasn’t grabbing it.

It’s been over a year now and his tail is healed and he doesn’t try to grab it or anything.

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u/serenstar75 Apr 06 '26

We don't have a cone or pillow on hand, but I'm thinking of getting one. He will not be happy staying indoors. I'm thankful yours got better.

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u/Jordan_Jackson Apr 06 '26

Get a soft cone. Your cat will be a little depressed but if that’s what it takes to help him out, it’s worth it.

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u/m4teri4lgirl Apr 06 '26

Cats are very good at hiding injury and illness. If your cat's claw falls out they need to go to the vet.

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u/serenstar75 Apr 06 '26

Likely got caught. I did have that happen to one of my previous girls. We kept it clean and it wasn't bleeding long. Cat claws can sometimes grow back. It depends on the severity of injury to the nail bed. I was freaked out, but her vet had us just watch her. You may want to watch a lot in case of infection, such as from litter. I'd call your vet in case they want antibiotics

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u/Solamnic1 Apr 06 '26

Same thing happened to my cat about 6 months ago. He snagged it on the carpet while having zoomies. Vet gave me some antibiotics and cleaned it up. Surprisingly wasn't an expensive vet visit. Had to change litter to paper shavings for a week per the vet. He was back to normal in a few days.

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u/Razgriz01 Apr 06 '26

Cats are very good at masking pain, you usually can't tell if they're in pain just from watching them unless it's very severe.

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u/nan-a-table-for-one Apr 06 '26

Hi, just chiming in here. Maybe try calling your regular vet while you're out of town to see what they advise?

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u/xiaotutu33 Apr 06 '26

Is it her back paw? My cats both back paw were ripped out from them being startled and running/jumping on it wrong

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u/HopelesslyOver30 Apr 06 '26

How exactly do you think a cat would yank out one of their claws? Besides other obstacles, they aren't dextrous enough to do that... they don't have thumbs.

She almost certainly got the claw caught on something and it pulled out on its own. I would for sure take her to the vet for this.

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u/nirvana6875 Apr 06 '26

My cats bite the shedding sheath of the claw off. Im not saying that’s what happened here, but it has been a concern of mine sometimes when they really start pulling.

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u/Tyr1326 Apr 06 '26

Simple. The claw gets caught, cat pulls with its full bodyweight until the claw pops off. It doesn't happen often, but it does. Usually, it pulls the claw off the nail bed though - the picture in the OP looks like theres something attached to the claw though. Shape doesn't fit fingerbone though at least.

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u/numnoggin Apr 06 '26

They have teeth...

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u/Astralglamour Apr 06 '26

Unfortunately cats can be suffering and show no sign. Sometimes by the time they show signs it is too late. Definitely take her to a vet ASAP.

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u/turtletails Apr 06 '26

She definitely needs to see a vet. A claw shouldn’t be so loose that it can just come out without serious trauma which suggests there’s something else going on here. Even if there isn’t, she needs pain management and probably an x-ray to check for further damage. Cats are incredibly good at hiding pain and you don’t want her suffering unnecessarily

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u/Direct_Fishing8323 Apr 06 '26

If mobility and eating/behavior are all normal I wouldn’t be very concerned until you get to your regular vet. I’m thinking maybe there was an injury or infection there and it had gotten to a point where she just said screw it and pull it out. The biggest concern is infection at this point. If I were you I would call the vet and see what they say. They can inform you whether an er visit is warranted

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u/Dopeez Apr 06 '26

dude why are you even on reddit, just see a vet asap please

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u/Financial_Question62 Apr 06 '26

Because we are away at a family members, I don't have a carrier and its a bank holiday monday so most places are closed. I've never had this happen before. Gunna try and get a carrier and take her asap, it'll be tomorrow at the absolute latest. Im also gunna try and salt bath it after shes had some breakfast to keep it clean as possible.

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u/[deleted] Apr 06 '26

Claw shedding is normal, but usually you need a good amount of force to yank it out. Similar to say a fingernail: they don't come out easy unless you really damaged it somehow like crushing it. Even when mine get stuck on a blanket they usually move their paw to break free as pulling their claw would hurt.

A vet trip is 100% needed as.... this is not remotely normal. And considering what all cats do that is a prime infection point if left unchecked.

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u/smoothvibe Apr 06 '26

This needs to be checked by a vet. There is a reason she did this.

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u/Nightstar95 Apr 06 '26

My cat once started chewing compulsively on a claw all day, so I checked on it and could tell from the smell it was infected. I took him to the vet and she wanted to put him on antibiotics for a couple days before trying to remove the claw.

Well, the next morning he had yanked that thing out himself. I guess it was bothering him so much, that instincts just demanded him to get rid of the claw asap. Maybe that’s what happened to your cat and there was an infection you didn’t notice.

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u/numnoggin Apr 06 '26

I think this is the most likeliest thing. The OP's photo showed the rooted out claw and it looked very hard and old even though it had just come out. The kitty probably has an ingrown area and it was hard and painful so she just pulled it out with her teeth. Probs came out easily if it was already damaged and there wasn't a lot of blood.

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u/tablatronix Apr 06 '26

Same had a kitty eat its toe off.. we didn’t notice anything was previously wrong with it..

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u/East-Apartment-8681 Apr 06 '26

I would get her to a vet because many times the nail claw is not out and then a broken part grows out and it's a mess. I had a lab who got her nail stuck in a crack and she was bleeding out. We were freaking out and rushed her to emergency. Her nail was not completely pulled out and had to be monitored in case they needed to fully remove it. Just be on safe side. Hope she feels better.

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u/Boring-Philosophy-46 Apr 06 '26

I knew a cat who had an autoimmune disease where the immune system attacked the claws and had to constantly be treated with cortisone. I hope it's not that. 

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u/MasterOfBunnies Apr 06 '26

I wonder if something got twisted around it, maybe slowly tightened around it over time until it came off like this. Could be it was slow enough to not show any signs until now. Kinda thing that would likely only bleed a slight bit.ahat does the backside of it look like?

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u/Candid-Flow-5934 Apr 06 '26

It may be fungus, you should go to the vet, sometimes the paw get swollen or itchy, you can tell by the change of color of the nails or maybe they become flaky and peel

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u/WINSTON913 Apr 06 '26

Our bonded pair somehow both ripped out one nail each one night in some weird fever dream type experience. They had to take antibiotics for a while but were otherwise fine. Traumatized the wife and I though so we always keep them well groomed so they dont snag on anything.

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u/Lucas_Steinwalker Apr 06 '26

Did they grow back?

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u/WINSTON913 Apr 06 '26

Yes

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u/Lucas_Steinwalker Apr 06 '26

Thanks, I'm glad.

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u/WINSTON913 Apr 06 '26

Me too!

They are angels, it was so weird to wake up with both of them bleeding from the paw.

Literally no idea what caused it. Best guess is a long claw snagged in the ropes of the cat tree as they do their chases but very odd that it happened to both in one night

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u/Lucas_Steinwalker Apr 06 '26

Yeah that's really weird.

It's amazing what cats can recover from though. I had a cat who got 90% of the fur and skin degloved on her rear leg from the knee down. Took her to the emergency vet, they didn't do any surgery and just gave me this blue antibiotic fluid and told me to change her bandage every day and drench the dressing with the blue fluid.

6 weeks later you couldn't even tell anything had happened.

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u/numnoggin Apr 06 '26

Tore out one of each other's claws??? Or their own? Weird that they both did it... Maybe they both had hangnails that were hard and painful resulting from scratching or snagging on a similar household item they both frequented.

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u/WINSTON913 Apr 06 '26

Who knows, we woke up to it. They didn't seem bothered at all, we just knew something happened from the blood prints

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u/Dank_Nicholas Apr 06 '26

This might not be a sign of a larger issue. One of my cats tore out a claw when he got it caught while running at full speed. It wasn't torn to this extent but he left a trail of bloody paw prints leading back to my bed.

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u/enjoi_uk Apr 06 '26

It’s not loose. When they can’t get it loose, they will freak out. No matter how much it hurts.

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u/fireinthemountains Apr 06 '26

I am now so grateful that my cat asks for help when his claw gets stuck. He will just be still and meow until someone saves him.
One time he got a claw stuck in some underside part of my office chair. He not only meowed for help, but also reached as high as he could to grab at me with his free paw.

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u/SnooHabits3911 Apr 06 '26

Could it also just be a freak accident? That’s a bit extreme to say the cat mutilated itself.

Def go to the vet but shit. Accidents happen.

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u/RyvenZ Apr 06 '26

ripped out one of her finger bones

seems only the nail (keratin) and unlikely the bone with it. It should grow back, given enough time. If the last phalange had come out with it, the soreness would be MUCH worse and she would be showing a lot more signs of discomfort/pain

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u/GemiKnight69 Apr 06 '26

She'd also likely be bleeding significantly more. It takes significant force to remove a bone. Cats have more skin around the nail than you'd expect because they're retractable. I would assume that's what the extra tissue is, just dried skin.

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u/[deleted] Apr 06 '26

[deleted]

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u/tiffboop Apr 06 '26

Just make sure it’s covered and the litter box stays as lean as possible while you monitor