Having extra digits typically doesn’t cause cats harm. Polydactyly can sometimes be confused for another serious condition. The bluish-gray tabby had a way of making his presence known, frequently “attending” formal dinners and plopping down in the middle of the hallway when dignitaries were visiting. Theodore Roosevelt had numerous pets while president, including Slippers, a six-toed cat.
There was once a polydactyl cat in the White House.
He has a whopping 28 toes total, with seven on each paw, as counted by a veterinarian in 2002.īut he might have to share his throne soon, as another cat named Paws also has 28 toes, according to a CBS News story out of Minnesota. The record for the most toes on a polydactyl cat is 28.Īccording to the Guinness Book of World Records, the cat with the most toes is Jake, a male ginger tabby cat who lives with his owners Michelle and Paul Contant in Ontario, Canada. Avid and agile hunters, they also served a more practical role-keeping mice and pests at bay. In the past, seafarers often brought polydactyl cats on board because they believed they would bring them good luck on their journey. Need more reasons to fall in love? Here’s what else you need to know about these intriguing felines. Today, polydactyl cats continue to delight with their eye-catching looks and extra-large kneading paws. They’re descendants of Snow White, a white six-toed cat that a ship’s captain and drinking buddy gave to Hemingway. There are a few famous clusters of polydactyl cats including in Ithaca, New York, where they’re called “Ithacats,” and-perhaps most well-known-the Florida Keys’ collection of “Hemingway cats.” The Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum, where the famous writer once lived, is a cat lover’s dream vacation spot with around 60 polydactyl felines hanging around the grounds at any time. have different genetic mutations than those seen in cats in the UK, so their ancestry may be more complicated than a trip across the Atlantic, says Dr. Some say this might be why polydactyl cats seem to be more common along the northeastern coast of the United States as well as parts of Southwest England and Wales. Although there’s some controversy about where exactly they come from, historians say they were likely brought into the United States by sailors in the nineteenth century or earlier. Extra digits work just like the other ones on a cat’s paw.Ĭats with thumbs have been popular pets for hundreds of years. While it would be cool to see cats with opposable thumbs picking up objects like chimps or gorillas, polydactyl cats generally do not have opposable thumbs. It’s an autosomal dominant trait, meaning that only one parent cat has to have the gene in order for it to show up in kittens. Bruce Kornreich, a veterinarian and director of the Cornell Feline Health Center. Why does this happen? “Polydactyly results from mutations in a group of genes that control digit development,” says Dr. “They are certainly a minority of the overall feline population, but they do occur with some regularity.” Ashley Rossman, a veterinarian at Glen Oak Dog and Cat Hospital in Glenview, Illinois. You may not see them every day, but “polydactyl cats are not that rare,” says Dr. They could affect one paw, two, three, or all four. These extra digits may pop up on the edge of paws like thumbs, pinky fingers or toes, or even down the middle of the paw. polydactyl cat paw looks like, it depends on the individual feline. When it comes to what a normal cat paw vs.
Most cats are born with five toes on their front paws and four toes on their back paws, but polydactyl cats can sport six or more toes per paw. Ĭonsidering a scroll through cats with thumbs for adoption? Read on to learn some of the history behind these charismatic felines, interesting facts, and why they make for such great pets. But two of the most common polydactyl cat breeds are the Maine Coon and Pixie Bob. This unique feature can be found in multiple types of cats no matter their sex, size, or breed. Polydactyl cats, also known as cats with thumbs, often attract attention with their splayed-out, mitten-like paws.
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