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about polydactyl cats

A polydactyl cat is one which has an abnormal number of digits on 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. It seems to be most commonly found in cats along the eastern coast of the United States and in South West England.

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.

In personality and care requirements, polydactyl cats are much like any other cat. Many owners have made the observation, however, that their polydactyl cats seem to have a more relaxed and mellow personality than other cats they have owned. These cats are quite hardy and can survive even in snowy weather. Polydactyl cats adapt very well to indoor or outdoor life, or a combination of the two. They make outgoing pets, and are reported to be affectionate and patient even towards children.

In size, polydactyl cats are medium to large with bodies strong and muscular in appearance. Their heads are broad, with a modified stop, and medium in size. Their noses and muzzles are medium sized and the chin has a squared appearance. The wide-set ears have pointy tips. Occasionally, American Polydactyl Cats used for stud purposes have very well developed cheeks. The rounded eyes of American Polydactyls are set at an angle, and any color or color combination is acceptable. This is true also of coat color and fur length, so long as the hairs lie close to the body. Longhaired American Polydactyl Cats should have silky smooth hair. The bodies of American Polydactyls are rectangular in shape, with good muscling over a medium bone frame. Their chests are well rounded and broad. Some American Polydactyls have bobtails, and these cats have shorter bodies than those with long tails. The legs of American Polydactyls are straight and sturdy, and bobtailed cats have hind legs that are noticeably longer than the front legs. Of course, the characterizing trait of the American Polydactyl Cat is its feet with their extra toes. One of the conformations of the extra toes looks like a thumb, and for this reason American Polydactyl Cats are also known as Cats with Thumbs. The other conformation is that of another, three-toed foot attached to the cat's four-toed foot. The extra toes may be found on the front feet only or on the back feet only, or all feet may have extra toes.

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. Hemmingway wrote about these cats, and as a result, they are often known as Hemmingway cats. Upon Hemingway's death in 1961, his will provided that his former home in Key West, Florida should become a museum and a home for his cats, and it currently houses approximately sixty descendants of his cats (about half of which are polydactyl).

American Polydactyl Cats probably came to the United States on ships in the Colonial Period. They were kept by sailors who considered them to be extremely good luck when at sea. The high rate of polydactyl cats in Boston, USA has also led to the nickname "Boston Thumb Cats". Polydactyl cats may have arrived in Boston from England. Polydactyl Cats may be found in any breed.

Resources:
Messybeast.com
Wikipedia
CentralPets.com

My Polydactyl

In May of 2005, my husband came into the house with a hand behind his back. I was laying on the couch busy being sick as I was in those days. "Guess what I've got?" he asked me. "Dunno, what've you got?" I asked. He pulled his hand from behind his back and the cutest little grey kitten appeared. "Look!" my husband exclaimed, "He has hooves!" He handed me the kitten and sure enough, I saw that kitty had what looked like cat thumbs on both hands. The kitten purred and meowed at me. I put him on my lap but he crawled up onto my chest and gave me a kiss- not a normal head-butt cat-kiss- he touched his nose to my lips and then dragged his nose across my mouth, getting his fetid-smelling spit all over my face. Then he did the same to my nose. The smell was horrible. I was in love.

"Now don't get too attached," my husband warned me. "I found him nosing around under the cottage {which was in the process of being built at the time} and I thought you should see him. I don't know where he came from but it wouldn't be right to keep him." Sadly, I knew he was right but we decided it wouldn't be too morally wrong if we "borrowed" him for a couple of days and then, with heavy-hearts, posted a notice at the post office so his owner could have him back. So we didn't name him but called him "Hooves Kitten" and bonded, though we tried not to. During that time, however, he mentioned the kitten at work and chanced to find out who owned "Hooves Kitten", so we went to their house and we came home with permission to keep kitty. Turns out the owners couldn't keep him or his siblings because one of their children killed one of our kitty's siblings and his parents were afraid to have them in the house lest it happen again.

I thought long and hard about what to name Hooves. It took me nearly a week to make up a name. I decided to delve into our D&D campaign and name him after a druid whose name meant "Silver Birch Lady" but changed it so it just meant "Silver Birch Tree". I named him Thurien.

Thurien is full of gumption and very intelligent. He knows his name and knows when he's being bad because if you shout his name at him when he's busy tearing up his cat fountain to play with the water, he'll stop but say "Meep!" as if to try to convince you that he is the cutest cat ever and he was not the one who had ripped all three interlocking pieces apart. He can open drawers and doors with his amazing thumbs and he is a glutton like none other. He drinks tea and coffee, eats barbeque potato chips and frozen strawberry treats. Actually, I've only seen him refuse egg salad and curry soup. He'll devour anything else. If he wants a kiss, he'll meow and reach out for your face with one of his hooves, even if you're standing up. The unfortunate part of that is sometimes he gets carried away and bites your nose. Hard. He runs about like a freak and his favorite past-time is beating the heck out of Doodle, who, oddly enough, gets depressed if Thury doesn't beat him regularly.

I am so glad that Thurien came to my house to stay. He helped me through a lot of painful days and nights.

Incidently, that is Thurien in the header }:8.