Cat eating his claws?

Question

I have a black cat that I have had for a few years. He is neutered. Well I just moved to a new house and it's been a week and all of my cats have adjusted, but I noticed that my black cat was picking at his one paw and l*****g it. I noticed he was biting his claws and pulling them off (I guess the outside shells, I don't know) and he was eating them! It freaked me out especially since I was just watching a zombie movie. Is his behavior normal?

Answer 1

yes its perfectly fine. ive had cats that would nibble on their claws and itd make a subtle crunching sound!! as long as hes not literally ripping them out of his paw, it should be fine. actually, a cats claws are deeply attached to their bones and are very hard to remove by their mouth alone. it would be VERY painful if he ate his claws.

Answer 2

Yes, it is pretty normal. He seems like biting but he is actually just removing the old, worn-out claw-sheaths, revealing new pin-sharp claws underneath. Cats use their teeth to chew off the old outer-casings. So, don't worry, he is not turning himself or you into a zombie anytime soon. :)

Answer 3

Check between his toes for bleeding or soreness. If none or he continues until tuesday, call the vet.

Answer 4

Our cat does that all the time. Saves us the trouble of having to pick the sheaths out of the carpet. God bless her.