Polydactyl cat
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A polydactyl cat is a cat that has more than the usual number of toes on one or all of its paws. In animals including humans, polydactyly (or polydactylism, also known as hyperdactyly) is the anatomical abnormality of having more than the usual number of digits on the hands or feet. Polydactyly is a congenital abnormality, usually genetically inherited as an autosomal dominant trait. Polydactyly is not life-threatening and usually not even debilitating to a cat, in fact in many cases it actually improves the dexterity of the animal.
Normal cats have five toes on each front paw and four toes on each hind paw. Polydactyl cats may have as many as seven digits on front and/or hind paws, and various combinations of anywhere from four to seven are common, although each of the front and rear paws are typically the same. A common variation is six toes on the front paws, with two opposing digits on each, (comparable in use to human thumbs). This feature enables the cat to learn and perform feats of manual dexterity generally not observed in non-polydactyl cats, such as opening latches on some cabinets, doors and windows. Some polydactyl kittens initially have more difficulty in learning to walk and climb than normal animals. However, their extra abilities, once developed, endear them to many owners.
The condition seems to be most commonly found in cats along the eastern coast of the United States and in South West England. Some sources state that these cats are rare in Europe because they were killed as witches' familiars[1], but other sources indicate that they are quite common in England. [2] Although there is some controversy over whether the commonest variant of the trait originated as a mutation in New England or was brought there from England, there does seem to be agreement that it spread widely as a result of cats carried on ships originating in Boston, and the prevalence of polydactylism among the cat population of various ports correlates with the dates when they first established trade with Boston.[3], [4]
Contributing to the spread of polydactyl cats by this means, sailors were long-known to especially value polydactyl cats for their extraordinary climbing and hunting abilities as an aid in controlling shipboard rodents. Some sailors also considered them to be extremely good luck when at sea.
Nobel Prize-winning author Ernest Hemingway was one of the more famous lovers of polydactyl cats, after being first given a six-toed cat by a ship's captain. Upon Hemingway's death in 1961, his former home in Key West, Florida became a museum and a home for his cats, and it currently houses approximately sixty descendants of his cats (about half of which are polydactyl). Because of his love for these animals, Hemingway cat, or simply Hemingway, is a slang term which has come to describe polydactyls. Other nicknames include "boxers" or "boxing cats", "mitten cats", "thumb cats", "six-finger cats", "Boston Thumb Cats", and "double-pawed cats" (a misnomer since there is a specific double paw condition).[5] American Polydactyl Cats are also being bred as a specific cat breed, with specific physical and behavioral characteristics in addition to extra digits.[6]
A particular strain native to Ithaca, New York is known as the "Ithacats".
Additional Images:
