Listen and feel before you look
The earliest signs that a cat's claws are too long are ones you notice without handling her at all. On wood or tile, overgrown claws announce themselves with a faint clicking or tapping as she crosses the room, because the tips now reach the floor ahead of her pads. Around the house, she starts catching: a claw snags in a blanket as she jumps down, hooks a loop of carpet, or tangles in upholstery thread, and she has to yank a paw free. On your lap, ordinary kneading turns sharp, with points digging through clothing in a way they did not a month ago. Any one of these is your cue to sit down and inspect properly rather than waiting for a scheduled trim.
What an overgrown claw looks like up close
Gently press each toe to extend the claw and compare it against its neighbours. A claw at a comfortable length has a smooth, gentle curve and a short, sharp tip. An overgrown claw keeps growing along that curve until it forms a pronounced hook, and because cat claws grow in a curve, a neglected claw does not grow straight out; it curls downward and eventually inward. In a senior cat, the sheath may also look thickened and dull, with old layers of claw built up around a tip that is already turning toward the pad. Check every claw individually, since they grow at different rates and one problem claw often hides among seventeen healthy ones.
The claws owners forget
Two sets get missed. The dewclaw, set higher on the inner front leg, never touches the ground or a scratching post, so nothing wears it down; it is the claw most likely to complete the circle and press into the pad. The back claws wear less than the fronts in an indoor cat who does most of her scratching with her front paws, yet they can still grow long and sharp. A post does not settle the question either way: scratching sharpens and conditions front claws more than it shortens them, so a keen scratcher can still be walking on overgrown tips.
What happens if they are left
A claw that reaches the pad causes pain with every step and can puncture it, opening a route for infection in a spot she will then guard and lick. Before that stage, long claws alter how she places her feet, catch during play, and can tear if a snagged claw is ripped during a jump, which bleeds heavily and frightens both of you. Cats who find walking uncomfortable may also stop using scratching posts and redirect to furniture, or move less overall, which owners sometimes misread as laziness in an older cat when the cause is under her toes.
When it stops being a home trim
Book a vet visit promptly if a claw is touching or has entered the pad, if a toe is swollen, red, or warm, if she is limping or crying when a paw is touched, or if a claw has torn and bled. A claw that has grown into the pad should not simply be cut at home, because removing it from the wound and checking for infection are part of the same job. Very thick, brittle senior claws that split when trimmed also deserve an examination rather than firmer squeezing with home scissors.
Making the check a habit, not a discovery
Most overgrown claws are found by accident because nothing prompted a look while they were still an easy trim. A regular check turns a small job back into a small job every time. You can schedule claw checks alongside trims in KinsLe Care Teams so the household inspects on a cycle instead of waiting for the clicking to start.