will this kitten have trouble walking with 6 toes?

Question

you see we have a small kitten who was deformed when born..he has 6 toes on each of his front feet.. i am concerned with how he will beable to walk right with this.. it seems to off balance him alittle ..should i maybe have the sixth toe removed..foxi

Answer 1

We've had six toed cats before. They were all fine. It didn't seem to affect their walking or climbing or anything. Our vet said it was usually caused by inbreeding. If you are gonna have the extra toes taken off do it while the kitten is very young. Just like when they do puppy tails and dew claws. It hurts them less and they heal faster when the are first born.

Answer 2

Keep the toes! :) My cat has 6 toes on both front paws (and a seventh vestigial claw between her extra long dew claws and the next toe) and 5 on the back paws. She is awesome, she looks like she's wearing mittens and her nickname is "Thumbs".

The only reason you should remove the toes is if they are not completely tied into the skeleton of the feet (ie. they are hanging on only by skin). If that is the case then the cat has a risk of getting the extra toe caught and seriously hurting himself. I worked at a vet clinic and this was often the case with dogs born with dew claws (sometimes they were just hanging on by skin).

Ask your vet but unless he/she is surgery-happy (and most would prefer to leave well enough alone) he/she will tell you to let them be.

Answer 3

I have 5 kittens right now, and all of them have 6-8 toes on the front feet. They manage. I also have two adults that have 6 or more toes on the fronts and are fine.
Leave it alone.

Answer 4

if you want to get the toe removed then consult your vet about it. This might cause problems with your cat later in life or it may not. But there is no harm in getting the extra toes removed. It really is up to you to decide and depending on how complicated and expensive it may be. Just talk to you vet about it he will have more info for you about it.

Answer 5

The kitten should walk just fine. There are cats down in key west that have 6 toes and they walk just fine.

Answer 6

hi, they are called "polydactals" and are considered very good luck. My mom adopted 4 of them and at age 12 & they are doing just fine. The only thing that we noticed is that they seem to have a hard time when that nail gets stuck on something so we just keep their nails clipped. my kitty has thumbs, not an extra toe but just one that sticks out.& he is just fine with it. If anything I think it might provide more balance cuz they have those extra toes to support their weight. enjoy your polydactal.

Answer 7

No he really shouldn't i had a cat with 8 on each front paw believe it or not paws were very wide lol he was so cute but at first oh my i was freaked i took him to the vet and i was told the only thing i have to really worry about is being scratched and my furniture but if you are really that concerned take your cat to the vet and ask for your self.

Answer 8

Some cats are born like that. I have a cat that has five maybe six toes. I'm not sure lol.... Gie him some time, if not then take him to a vet.

Answer 9

Considering the SPCA is to PREVENT animal cruelty, they will NOT mutilate your cat for you by declawing it. Declawing is a disgusting procedure and if you think it needs to be done you should give that poor kitten back to your friend immediately. Spaying/neutering can be done anytime, many shelters do offer reduced cost services including spay/neuter and vaccines. If your kitten hasn't had any shots yet, he or she needs to get their first set done now.

Answer 10

Don't be removing toes!!!! He will grow nto himself, jeese, give him a chance. all kittens are absolute spasses....they are so strange and fall all the time and make messes etc....don't worry mom, baby is gonna be fine, 6 toes and all!!! sounds like fun!!!