i have a cat and its has thumbs on all paws!
what does this mean?
2006-06-05 16:38:51 · 14 answers · asked by AnitaBonghit 3 in Pets ➔ Cats
they are not the "dew" claws!
my cat has 6 toes on each paw!
2006-06-05 16:45:26 · update #1
yeah i saw my cat litteraly THROW a small tennis ball! haha that was really funny!
2006-06-05 16:59:44 · update #2
Sounds like you have a poly cat.
Polydactyly (six or seven toes) varies from the classic "mitten cat" through to cats which simply have more toes than normal, but no "thumb". A correspondent to the New Scientist noted that the innermost extra toes on the front paws are often opposable and some cats use them with quite startling proficiency to manipulate small objects with almost human dexterity. Some owners of polydactyl cats joke that their cats are more intelligent because of this and represent the next stage in feline evolution - the ability to open cartons and cans unaided.
2006-06-05 16:54:39 · answer #1 · answered by redunicorn 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It means he's a mutant. But don't worry, it's not a dangerous mutation. It's just polydactyly, a genetic mutation. Some people have extra digits too, but it's much rarer in humans, of course. It's recessive in humans and most likely in cats too, but I'm not sure.
(Unless you're referring to dew claws as other people think you are. Those are generally a little higher up on the ankle.)
2006-06-05 23:41:46 · answer #2 · answered by kaplah 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
My husbands family has a herd of cats and in the last two years all of them have been born with 6 toes on all paws. We think its because they are all related like mom and son doing it so somewhere down the line they get deformed.
2006-06-06 17:10:00 · answer #3 · answered by Frogger454 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You have a special cat! This type of cat was made famous by Ernest Hemingway, the writer. If you are ever in Key West, Florida, visit the Hemingway House (now a museum) and you will see many polydactyl cats living there.
Polydactyl cats are known by various names - "mitten cats", "thumb cats", "six-finger cats" and "Hemingway cats". The latter is because of writer Ernest Hemingway who made his home on the small island of Key West, Florida. He shared the island with nearly 50 cats, including a 6-toed polydactyl given to him by a ship captain; the cats bred and the polydactyl trait became common, hence polydactyls are often known as "Hemingway Cats".
2006-06-06 00:29:36 · answer #4 · answered by _me_ 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Not all cats have the thumb...however Manx cats do have a thumb instead of just the dew claw on the front legs.
It's just something that's unique to certain breeds of cat.
2006-06-05 23:42:42 · answer #5 · answered by jedimastercurtis 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Those are dew claws. They're normal and natural. Many people have them removed when the cat is neutered, but many do not. All cats are born with them.
2006-06-05 23:41:30 · answer #6 · answered by cyanne2ak 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Does he have 6 toes? That sometimes happens. It's nothing to worry about. It's genetic.
2006-06-05 23:42:20 · answer #7 · answered by notyou311 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
This is nothing to be concerned about. It's just a little glitch in your cats genetic make-up. It clearly means he's special.
2006-06-06 00:28:40 · answer #8 · answered by no1cares 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I had a kitten with 6 toes each....its just a genetic difference! be happy just because its a little special
2006-06-05 23:54:28 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Cats are supposed to have thumbs.
2006-06-05 23:40:56 · answer #10 · answered by poetess 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋