CAT TOENAIL GURUS WANTED

[catinthehat]

My dimwitted rescue cat has never looked after her claws, hence I have to clip them periodically.
However, I'm noticing they are getting thicker and thicker when I cut them, as if the layers are not able to fall off. Also, she is licking lots of fur off, probably because her sister whups her ass.

(Her sister eats the same diet and scratches trees & fences outside and has no claw problems.)

Any ideas
1)why her claws are getting so thick - could it be to do with all the extra protein from eating her fur?
2)what I can do to get her claws back to normal
[she is very feeble minded so I limit vet trips to once a year so she doesn't get too stressed]
All ideas VERY gratefully received, I will be back later.

Thanks in advance

i think scratching trees etc sharpens them, hence tapers them out towards the end so if she is not scratching trees etc, they will become thick.

1. claws being thick - not significant, don't worry about it (not to do with fur in diet!)

2. not much. If she's not clawing at posts then they won't be sharp like your other cat. Hence the thickness, possibly.

If she's licking excessively I would be concerned that she's under stress ... maybe ring your vet for a chat and consider using a Feliway diffuser (vet will have one) to help soothe her a bit.

H&I - thanks, just want the silly mog to get out there scratching, but she is too daft.
Chubby - we've done the Feliway thing, and the fur licking is not too bad tbh as she occasionally gets a slap back at her sis. It's just the claws look so unsightly, not little needly white tapered things like I'm used to, just really overgrown toenaily things. So you generally think don't worry?

Have you tried getting a scratching post for inside your house? Her excessive licking might be a habit she has developed. My cat has a thing for anything plastic!!!! she too is a rescue cat

I really wouldn't worry. You quite often find older cats have thickened flaky nails, not sure whether it's less activity/scratching or just an old cat thing but either way just unsightly, not harmful.