How common is a polydactal cat?

Question

My beautiful kitty, Echo, has seven toes on each of his front paws. These three extra toes have their own pad too. These cats are AKA Hemmingway because the famous writer used to breed them on his little island. Do any of you have one?

Answer 1

I used to work in a clinic and owners of these cats thought they had a rare cat worth something -- they're worth no more than a topic of conversation. They are common, not very common, but common. It is not a rare defect.

Interesting to see though, isn't it? Gives you one more nail to trim or one more nail for the vet to declaw.

Answer 2

I have 2, but their Mom was a stray that was dumped in out yard. Stinky has 8 toes on the front and her Brother Dirtyface actually has disfigured feet, they look more like mittens and he has 7 toes on the front and 6 on the back. There was another female from somewhere in the neighborhood that was among a feral group who did have extra toes but I was never able to get close enough to count them. Regards KG

Answer 3

They aren't as rare as some people think.. My cat had two brothers, one had six toes on each of his front feet, The other had 7, well really 6 toes and an extra claw.

Answer 4

I have had a couple of them. As recently as fifty years ago, they were almost never seen outside the New England states.
I found an abandoned polydactyl Maine Coon kitten in New Mexico about 12 years ago.
A rare breed of cat, if you would excuse the expression.

Answer 5

I see cats with extra toes ALL the time..since when are they a breed??

Answer 6

Yep. Not only is our cat polydactal, but he also has extra fingers and toes.


.. dumb joke, I know.

Answer 7

My mom had a pure black one like that and she had two grey ones....they were sooo adorable...looked like they had 'mitten paws'.:)

Answer 8

i had one growing up, i named him boxer because of his paws looking like mitts.