Liz Buchanan BVSc MRCVS
Keymaster
That sounds very stressful for both of you! How normal is it for your cat to be out at night? From the point of view of looking after him right now, your instincts may be the best judge of whether / how soon to go searching for him, call the missing cat log etc. or whether he is more likely to safely take shelter / wander back on his own accord when he thinks that there is food, or that you will no longer try to look at his nail. This would be a stressful multi-factoral decision distinct to your situation and however it pans out, I hope that you get him home safe to you soon. As he sounds injured, calling round vets to let them know may also prove to be a good idea; members of the public will often take an unfamiliar limping cat for veterinary help.
The foreign body, meanwhile, sounds painful and at risk of causing infection, so if he comes home I still feel that a vet check may be in order. Penetrating objects are likely to leave the paw prone to infection, abscessation or further injury and furthermore, can be difficult to examine / treat in a conscious cat, but vets have nurses and can also cheat if necessary (i.e. use anaesthetic or sedative) which can make examination or treatment much less stressful.
Best of luck and we hope that the situation resolves - please do let us know what happens!
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