A nail is homologous to a claw but is flatter and has a curved edge instead of a point. A nail that is big enough to bear weight is called a "hoof". (Nevertheless, one side of the cloven-hoof of artiodactyl ungulates may also be called a claw). Every so often, the growth of claws stops and restarts, as does hair.

The show received mostly positive reviews but middling ratings throughout its nearly five-year run. According to TNT executive Brett Weitz, now was the right time to end the story. “The Claws ending is fulfilling as an ending of a series as you could want.

Claws isn't based on a true story, but the writing and performances draw on real life in a lot of ways. In a Bradenton Herald interview, Claws writer Eliot Laurence discussed the real-life influence behind Nash's character, the nurturing mother figure of the salon.