Nail shedding: how flaky is too flaky?

Tybalt is the first cat I've had (in my family or on my own) who I've trimmed the nails of personally. I've always taken them to groomers, asked the vet to when I was there, or had a friend or family member do it. I have an autoimmune disease that makes my nerves pretty crazy, so clipping my own nails can set me off- something about the texture of nails on people and animals against metal makes me vibrate. Thankfully, now that I'm on anxiety medication that vibration feeling is so much easier to handle, and oh does it have money to tend to my own nails! So, long explanation short, his nails are the only ones I've really gotten to look at in full detail, but he's also an indoor only cat. His scratchers are corrugated cardboard and wood, but I don't think he likes the wood and there is no way the cardboard helps his claws shed like scratching a tree outside. So I'm trying to decide if his flaky nails are too flaky. Is there a degree of flakiness I should worry about? Am I just noticing the extent of the flakiness because I'm clipping them nearly daily myself? They aren't cracked or split, so that's good, and they don't seem to bother him.


Crap, I just realized pictures would have been good, but he's currently chasing a water bottle cap and that could take hours to finish. Hehe. I'll snap some when he comes to sit with me.

Actually, I just looked at them and they aren't flaky at ALL today. Hahaha! That's my luck!

My question still stands though. How flakey is too flakey?

If there are several layers all trying to flake off at once, I think that's too flakey. Or if the nail flakes to the point where the nerves underneath are exposed.My cats will shed a layer probably once a week/once every other week? They only have cardboard and sisal rope scratchers and have never had a problem.