Bleeding paw - please help

My cat spends most of his time outside in the garden. He came in this eve to snack, with blood dripping from one paw. His nails are long, I noticed a sharp object size of a small button lodged between / right under his nail. It looked lodged too deep for me to pull out incase I hurt him. He allowed me to look and cut the nail but naturally wimpered. More bleeding and ran out. I'm at my wits end now, very late at night and he's still out somewhere, in the cold. I hope the object dislodges overnight but have to wait until he safely returns in the morning, for his breakfast. Don't know what to do!? Take him to vet if object still in paw? I'm so worried about him.

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!  

Regarding the bleeding, the amount of blood being lost also has some bearing on the urgency of the situation, of course.  Only a certain amount of blood-loss is okay.  Again, this is another factor to consider in the decision as to whether to search.  Thinking of you.

Hi thanks so much for your replies on here. I've been up all night! Yes Giorgio likes sleeping outside sometimes in his tent. Thankfully he came in for breakfast. His paw has stopped bleeding. I think it's an ingrowing nail from pictures on the internet. Exactly the same, like a disc his nail is round, curled over may have punctured his paw. He came in but wanted to sit out again, far corner of garden. He's always there nearby, never on the road. I spoke to the vet earlier. Sending them photos then appointment to examine him especially his nails. Had him 10 years since 4 months old from Battersea. Hopefully vet will sort him out. Im so relieved the bleeding stopped. I was advised to dip paws in warm salt water in the meantime, when he comes in. He's gonna be hard work to get in the carry-case, I dread but must be done. Giorgio can be very naughty plays up with me! But love him so dearly... ♡ Before he usually wants to go out at night, he won't go unless I give him a full head and body massage! Guess that's my fault ;) I'm a cat lover afterall. Appreciate your answers/questions.