Have You Ever Seen a Cat With Thumbs? Here Are 3 Fascinating Facts About Polydactyl Felines

A charming polydactyl cat was recently reported to be born with additional toes, making his front paws appear like the hands of a human.

A Good News Network report said, Teddy, the attractive three-year-old domestic shorthair cat comes from a polydactyl species, which means he has extra toes on his hind feet, and two thumbs, making his front paws appear like mittens.

The cat, living with Selvynna Tang, his owner from Vancouver, British Columbia, owns an Instagram page and his stunning condition brings joy to his countless feline followers.

Tang considers the rare Canadian cat as her "little buddy." She added that they are spending a lot of time together, from working, relaxing at home to road walks and trips. The cat owner also said Teddy is used to going on adventures, so they get to do so many things together.

Extra Toes

The cat's extra toes are not affecting him too much, explained Tang. If such claws are growing too long, it's making a tapping sound every time he's walking on the wood floors, and she would trip the claws, like any other. If the claw turns too long, it can, at the time, get stuck on the scratching post, as well.

The cat owner explained, "on the grand scheme of things," her pet is relatively now maintenance. He loves to sleep a lot, specifically during work hours, which she elaborated, is working out for her.

Typically, normal cats have 18 toes, five toes on each forepaw, and four toes on each hind paw. As for polydactyl, cats may have as many as nine digits on their hind or front paws.

In a similar report, NEWSVOT said that both a Canadian polydactyl cat, Jake, and an American polydactyl cat were recognized for having the most toes on a cat with 28 in all, by the Guinness World Records.

Selvynna explained that cats are quite flexible and do not know they are any different as that's all they know. Even cats who are deaf or blind, or even without a limb, can live quite complete lives.

Polydactyl Cats

A Cat-World report said polydactyl cats, also known as "Hemmingway cats, boxing cats, cardi or mitten cats," have a congenital abnormality that leads to additional toes.

Here is a substantial disparity from cat to cat in the formation and number of additional digits. Below are three of the fascinating facts about polydactyl cats, as indicated in a Catster report:

1. Genetic Abnormality

As earlier mentioned, cats typically have 18 toes in all, with five on each front paw and four on every rear. However, if a cat is polydactyl, it might have as many as eight goes on any given paw. The term is originally Greek. Specifically, "poly" means many, while "daktylos" mean digits.

2. Typical in Maine Coons

Traditionally, polydactyly was an advantageous characteristic for Maine Coon cat species. For a breed that originates in snowy Maine, what's described as doublewide paws that have extra digits worked as natural snowshoes. At one time, as much as 40 percent of all Maine Coon cats had additional toes.

3. Lucky Charm at Sea

In the past, polydactyl cats got their sea legs by keeping fishermen company on various journeys. Consequently, they obtained their keep, they were believed to be outstanding hunters of mice, and their extra toes resulted in better balance on ships that went rough waters.

Related information about polydactyl cats is shown on Cattitude Daily's YouTube video below:

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