We recently got a cat that has an extra claw on the front feet, like a thumb. How common is that?
2007-09-01 04:50:36 · 19 answers · asked by morris 5 in Pets ➔ Cats
It's called polydactyly (polly DAKT tilly) and it's pretty common.
Sometimes these are called "mitten cats."
As another answer noted, Hemingway's house, now a tourist site, is famous for having a great many cats with polydactyly, all descended from his big orange polydactylic boy.
2007-09-01 04:58:42 · answer #1 · answered by Ankhorite 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Cat With Extra Toe
2016-11-13 21:10:08 · answer #2 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Polydactyl is a term that refers to a cat with extra toes – usually found on the front paws and occasionally on the back. This is the result of a mutant gene (Pd) that is dominant. In other words, if a parent has extra toes, then it is most likely that some of their offspring will as well.
The Pd gene is basically considered to be a genetic fault and cats with this feature should not be used in a breeding program for any breed.
This is getting more and more common.
2007-09-01 04:55:55 · answer #3 · answered by smile4u 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
My cousin has a cat that has an extra toe on the front paws. I believe that type of cat is called a 'Mitten Toed Cat'. ;)
I have an odd mitten toed cat that has an extra toe on both of it's back paws but not hte front paws, weird hun?
Anyways, I think it can happen quite a bit. Sometimes due to inbreeding and other times it's just a pure fluke.
2007-09-01 04:56:44 · answer #4 · answered by Mar-mar 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Polydactyl (extra-toed) cats. There are probably many genes, both dominant and recessive, that cause polydactyly in cats. Most cases of polydactyly in cats are perfectly harmless.
Polydactyl cats are relatively common in southwest Britain, Norway, Sweden, and the eastern coast of the USA and Canada, and some parts of Asia. Sailors thought they were lucky. There were, and are, many myths surrounding polydactyl cats:
That they are superior mousers and ratters,
That they have better balance on ships in stormy weather,
That their paws are natural snowshoes,
That their opposable thumbs give them a survival advantage.
2007-09-01 04:58:08 · answer #5 · answered by momof1 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I have a beautiful male cat with thumbs and I have a close friend who also had a male cat with thumbs. I believe it is fairly unusual, but not extremely rare. I'm just speaking from personal experience and years of cat loving!
2007-09-01 04:59:38 · answer #6 · answered by SDG 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The cat might be a hemingway. I dont think thats the actual name of the breed but i've always heard them called that because ernest hemingway had a few. the cats usually have extra toes on all four paws. maybe its a mix. You wont need to get it removed unless its problematic. have your vet give you his opinion on it
2007-09-01 04:56:17 · answer #7 · answered by HappyBunny 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I've got one too, he's got extra toes only on his front feet. He can move the extras on his right foot, but the ones on his left foot don't have the bones connected there, they don't move even if he wants them to.
2007-09-01 14:49:05 · answer #8 · answered by Elaine M 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
My Jack Russell has 6 toes its pretty nasty. The vet said its pretty common. You can get it removed but its actually quite painful and the extra toes causes no harm so we just left it.
2007-09-01 04:53:39 · answer #9 · answered by BURT 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Ernest Hemmingway's cat had 6 toes. They say if you go to Key West (where he lived), there are still cats with 6 toes who where descendants of E.H.'s cat.
2007-09-01 04:54:58 · answer #10 · answered by ♥Sarai♥ 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋