Only The Coolest Kind Of Cats, Ever!

[GothicRavenGoddess (3)]

Polydactyl Cats-Full Article

(and pictures)

Polydactyly, or extra digits, is a common trait among cats, particularly it seems, among Celtic cats and cats on part of America's Eastern coast and South West Britain. This distribution may well be linked. Except for Twisty Cats, polydactyly is not a product of bad breeding. It is simply a naturally occurring genetic variation and, as noted later on, polydactyly is found in fossil reptiles - meaning that five digits might be the abnormal form! Only one form of polydactyly is known to be harmful.

I want one!!!!!

I use to have one, and my dad had like 10 cats that had this.... they have the coolest, most human like personalities....

The Cat has to be fixed, so yeah.....

[Fierce Critter]

Did you know they're sometimes called "Hemingway cats" because of all the poly's that live on his Estate in Florida? I think I read in a history of that once that they came over on ships and stayed and bred. The majority of sources tend to believe it's not normal, contrary to what the source you copy/pasted above seems to lean toward.

I used to want one just because that's an interesting trait.

But 20 cats later (some adopted out), with some of them having been brought into the house based solely on wanting a particular color, I've really realized that it's kinda silly to pick cats based on some kind of particular or unusual physical trait. It's kinda like picking a pair of shoes based on color alone.

I don't feel the same way about pure breeds, though. If you want a Persian because you want a cat with a particularly sweet disposition and actually look forward to grooming it constantly, then that's the cat for you. If you want a cat that will just about hold a conversation with you, then a Siamese is right up your alley. Etc. But we're talking personality here, not necessarily physical appearance.

Truth is, though I love all my cats and wouldn't trade any of them for anything, the one I'm the most proud and happy to have brought into the house is Tiki, our 3-legged little black sweetheart. It's her that has me thinking that when all those sad passings happen and we're down to less than 4 cats again and willing to bring new ones into the home, I'll be seeking "special needs" cats like her. Blind, disabled, etc. I really feel like I need to help out "undesireables" especially.

[GothicRavenGoddess (3)]

I didn't until i read that article. i didn't even know that it was that common, even with my dad having so many

and from what i have seen, it can happen to any breed... so its not a breed, its in all the cats...

but i agree.i love all cats, i just happen to love these kinds more... and no, i wouldn't trade one without extra toes for one with extra toes.. once they are my baby, they stay my baby.... lol

i love the cats with extra digits, because in general, they are sweeter cats, more outgoing,... i don't care what color they are, tho i am drawn to black cats, and the orange tabby, but i typically don't care what breed or color... lol

[Fierce Critter]

i love the cats with extra digits, because in general, they are sweeter cats, more outgoing,...

Thing is, though, extra toes doesn't = personality specifics.

I would hazard to guess that the extra attention they probably get as "oddities" is what makes them seem more personable.

Still, I get the attraction. The Dairy Queen in Southgate on Eureka road has a "Dog's Night Out" event every year. They have rescue groups bring adoptable dogs & cats, and last year, they had an orange tabby with not one but 2 extra toes, and if memory serves, they also had extra on the rear feet which is more rare. I really wanted that cat, but I'm sticking to my vow to not disrupt the current balance in the house by bringing in any more animals. So I said bye and let someone else adopt him.

[GothicRavenGoddess (3)]

The extra toes is a genetic mutation. More outgoing personalties because their ability to do more stuff. This isn't what i know as fact. This is just my opinion through personal experience. And none of the cats that I owned got extra attention because of their toes. Nine times out of ten, I actually had to point it out to other people, because they didn't believe me.... Like I said, this is through personal experience, not known fact.

[Destroit]

The extra toes is a genetic mutation. More outgoing personalties because their ability to do more stuff. This isn't what i know as fact. This is just my opinion through personal experience. And none of the cats that I owned got extra attention because of their toes. Nine times out of ten, I actually had to point it out to other people, because they didn't believe me.... Like I said, this is through personal experience, not known fact.

Yeaaap, and what's interesting about polydactylism is that it's a dominant trait, not recessive.

Meaning that if ONE of your parents have it, then you're gonna have some extra fingers too (unlike blue eyes, which I explained in another thread).

It's weird though, that the whole world of people and cats aren't polys, since it's a dominant trait and you only need one alliele for it, not two like you would for blue eyes for instance.

[TygerLili]

My mom's friend had a couple of kittens with extra toes the summer we camped in her back yard. At 3AM I woke up to kittens climbing on top of the tent. LOL

[Gaf The Horse With Tears]

Siamese... gah... smart cats that will hurt you bad if you disagree with them.

[Destroit]

My mom's friend had a couple of kittens with extra toes the summer we camped in her back yard. At 3AM I woke up to kittens climbing on top of the tent. LOL

Omfg...that would have creeped me out, even though I <3 kittehz more than anything. Like I had this image of weird creepy-crawly kittens trying to break into your tent with their extra fingers and eating you in your sleep.

I would have woke up and told the other person, "Shit! sshhh...shhh...SHH! We can't let the killer kittehz know that we have ham...they surely will kill us for it with their super claws."

[creatureofthenyte]

I was thinking, if you have a cat that has double paws, that means 8 claw nails per paw, DON'T piss'em off!!!

[GothicRavenGoddess (3)]

Yeaaap, and what's interesting about polydactylism is that it's a dominant trait, not recessive.

Meaning that if ONE of your parents have it, then you're gonna have some extra fingers too (unlike blue eyes, which I explained in another thread).

It's weird though, that the whole world of people and cats aren't polys, since it's a dominant trait and you only need one alliele for it, not two like you would for blue eyes for instance.

oh i know that. every domestic breed has the trait for it. it takes one who physically has it, to make babies with it. OR, came from a litter that has it... example:

Female (from litter that doesn't have the extra digits, no parents have it)

Male (from litter that has it, parents have it, BUT the male does not)

+

--------

litter all the females have the extra digit, one male with the extra digits, and one male that does not

(keep in mind this isn't a scientific analysis, this is something that I have witnessed)

[GothicRavenGoddess (3)]

Also, if you at least look at the article, it explains the difference between having extra toes, and having more than one set of feet on one ankle. There is a difference... one is a genetic mutation that isn't classified as a defect, and the other is actually a birth defect.

[Destroit]

OR, came from a litter that has it

Well no because two normal cats can't have a kitten that is a polydactyl, literally can't happen. Polydactylism is a dominant trait.

However one with normal toes and one with extra toes will come out with MOSTLY kittens with extra toes...and a few without due to the recessive gene that is hidden in the extra toed parent, and the double recessive genes in the normal cat.

[GothicRavenGoddess (3)]

Well no because two normal cats can't have a kitten that is a polydactyl, literally can't happen. Polydactylism is a dominant trait.

my example explained what i meant.....

[amalthea23]

Which is odd, because I had an ex with two normal parents and he had 12 toes.

[Msterbeau]

Which is odd, because I had an ex with two normal parents and he had 12 toes.

What are normal parents?

[amalthea23]

What are normal parents?

Each had ten toes. Aside from that, they were very NOT normal, and likely contributing to the "ex" factor, lol.

[pomba gira]

My dear departed Zu-i had a litter of 7 where 4 of the kittens had extra toes. Interestingly, they were noticeably not as smart or coordinated than the others. But, I gave one to a friend, and he eventually learned to pick things up with his forepaws, using his extra toes almost like a thumb. Would've loved to breed for that & see if I could end up with cats with "full manual dexterity" as we say in special needs circles. Hmm, on second thought, maybe not a good idea... my Chango is ingenious at getting into places he shouldn't be even without hands.

[predaking]

I as well as my cousin had cats like this. They could grab your fingers and other objects much like a baby would

[GothicRavenGoddess (3)]

My dear departed Zu-i had a litter of 7 where 4 of the kittens had extra toes. Interestingly, they were noticeably not as smart or coordinated than the others. But, I gave one to a friend, and he eventually learned to pick things up with his forepaws, using his extra toes almost like a thumb. Would've loved to breed for that & see if I could end up with cats with "full manual dexterity" as we say in special needs circles. Hmm, on second thought, maybe not a good idea... my Chango is ingenious at getting into places he shouldn't be even without hands.

Well, not all extra-digit cats are smart or smarter than other cats. Intelligence, like in all animals, has to be nurtured. hold them back, because you think they have "special needs" then they will act as such. They are normal, in the brain, just like other cats. Its because of their extra abilities, that, IMO, makes them seem smarter, more outgoing...

My cat Daemeon (who had 8 on one front paw, 7 on the other, and 7 on each back paw, as well as the tiny dew claw) seemed to be really smart... he could open regular doors, (the door knobs)- and i mean he would watch ppl open the doors before he would try! Without any training, he seemed to know what I was saying ("no", "get out my face"-that was for when I was eating, "go lay down", "you can't come in here, this isn't your house"-for when I'd walk to a friends house, and they had the door open.. In my neighborhood, that cat followed me everywhere.., things like that) he was quite inquisitive, as well. like, for example, objects on the floor, he's pick them up, and look at them, before deciding if he wanted to play with it. Somehow he'd know what was mine, and what was okay to play with. He'd ever bring me things that had fallen on the floor, w/o my knowledge, and it was almost like he was asking for permission. I know he was only an animal, and it seems ridiculous to treat him so humanly, BUT cats (and dogs) are a lot smarter than ppl give them credit for. I never treated my cats like human children, but I do love and take care of, and protect all my pets... :D

oh yes, i dunno if its true, but I have heard that these kinds of cats, depending on colour and breed, are worth some $$!

[pomba gira]

Well, not all extra-digit cats are smart or smarter than other cats. Intelligence, like in all animals, has to be nurtured. hold them back, because you think they have "special needs" then they will act as such. They are normal, in the brain, just like other cats. Its because of their extra abilities, that, IMO, makes them seem smarter, more outgoing...

Oh, I wasn't making any kind of comment on the general intelligence of extra-toed cats... just telling a story about one litter that I had. Don't know about the others, but Sasquatch certainly turned out to be as intelligent & coordinated as any cat I've ever had, and more than some! And I agree that most animals are way more intelligent than most humans give credit for... their intelligence is just different from human intelligence. In terms of pure problem-solving ability and how fast they figure out "this doesn't work", my Pussy Posse are certainly doing better than some humans I can think of!

[Rev.Reverence]

Sooooooooooo cool!!!!!

I met a few.....

[GothicRavenGoddess (3)]

Oh, I wasn't making any kind of comment on the general intelligence of extra-toed cats... just telling a story about one litter that I had. Don't know about the others, but Sasquatch certainly turned out to be as intelligent & coordinated as any cat I've ever had, and more than some! And I agree that most animals are way more intelligent than most humans give credit for... their intelligence is just different from human intelligence. In terms of pure problem-solving ability and how fast they figure out "this doesn't work", my Pussy Posse are certainly doing better than some humans I can think of!

Oh i know.

Sometimes you get a cat that was born in the wrong body. They physically have the extra digit, but their mind isn't aware of it. Most ploly-cats have to walk a little different, so their feet don't bump each other, because the toes make their feet so wide. Well, when their brain isn't aware of the extra toes, they tend to stumble a bit. an extra toed cat trying to walk like a cat without the extra toes is funny to watch! lol I had a cat that was like that, and I had to physically teach him how to walk. I had to get on the floor, and move each foot, to show him how to walk with out tripping himself up. It took like 2 months to do this, and while he was learning all this, he got smarter in other ways. he didn't move around that much, until he got the hang of the new way to walk, so he sat and watched. (he'd also hop around kinda like he was pouncing, to get from place to place, and he was a climber as well, so you can imagine!) learned where the food was... learned to open doors. found the water going down a flushing toilet is not a toy... but its still fun to watch (he'd flush it himself, and watch the water go down... wish he'd learned to poo in the damn thing before pulling the lever), learned that babies pull tails and whiskers, and squeeze a little too tight... but he learned that a baby is a baby, and he developed patience, and to no use his claws. he was so smart. I couldn't believe it. and he had some other developmental issues, unrelated to the extra toes.... but that's anther story. But I have had to teach other poly's how to walk. its not that hard, if you so it while they are still wabbly.... i think that the extra digits throws off their balance when they are newborns. but once they get the hang of things... they are more of a thinker than a doer. Like you said about the figuring stuff out... i think that they are better at it, than most animals... lol :D

[Gauge]

i has a poly kitty!

[Msterbeau]

i has a poly kitty!

That makes sense... Heehee