10 Amazing Facts About Polydactyl Cats

1. Polydactylism is a Congenital Deformity

Felines born with polydactylism have a genetic mutation. However, this mutation is neither harmful nor disabling. The condition is also known as hyperdactyly or hexadactyly, and it’s passed down through an autosomal dominant gene. In fact, if one cat parent is polydactyl, 40 to 50% of the resulting litter will most likely be polydactyl as well.

2. Maine Coons Have a Higher Occurrence of Polydactylism

Polydactylism can affect cats from any breed. However, Maine coons have a higher tendency to inherit this mutation. As many as 40% of early Maine coons were polydactyls, which some people claim helped them walk during snowy Maine winters.

3. Polydactyly May Bring Some Benefits

Although polydactyl cat owners may need to use caution when trimming their pets’ extra nails, those extra toes can benefit the cat. Extra digits provide a more secure grip when climbing trees. They also help these cats maneuver on more demanding surfaces like snow or sand. One polydactyl cat named Cravendale from Warrington, England, used his extra digits to pick up the toys in his cat pen and then climb up the pen just like a human.

4. They Have Several Nicknames

Polydactyl cats often go by other nicknames. For instance, the IthaCat comes from a famous sewing pattern modeled after a late 1800s polydactyl cat named Caesar Grimalkin. Other nicknames include Hemingway cat, conch cat, boxing cat, snowshoe cat, and mitten-foot cat. Another name is Cardi-cat, named for the Cadiganshire region of England where these cats were common.

5. There Are Three Types of Polydactyly

While all polydactyl cats have extra toes, there are three main types. Preaxial polydactyls have extra toes on the insides of thier paws. These thumb-like digits comprise the most common type of polydactylism. Another type is postaxials, which have extra toes on the outside of their paws. Finally, mesoaxials have extra toes in the middle of their paws. This is the least common type of polydactylism.

6. They Were Once Regarded as Good Luck Charms

Some experts believe that the Puritans brought these mitten-foot cats from England to the United States in the 1600s. They were believed to bring good luck to the families who took them in as pets. Sailors, especially, fancied them because they thought polydactyls were superior mousers and better able to balance on ships than other cats.

7. They Are More Common in Certain Regions

Polydactyl cats are found all over the world. Nevertheless, there are some regions where they are most common. There are larger populations on the East Coast in the U.S. as well as in South West England and in Wales. These concentrations may be due to Puritans bringing polydactyls from England to the United States. In addition, sailors often took them when sailing into and out of these coastal towns.

Ernest Hemingway kept a colony of these extra-toed kitties while living in Florida. Moreover, about 60 of his cats’ descendants still live at the Hemingway House in Key West.

8. The American Polydactyl Has Become a Breed

Polydactyly is more common among cats than people may think. In fact, it’s prevalent enough that Americans have developed a full breed of polydactyls. American polydactyls, along with the Maine coon variety, aren’t recognized universally as breeds. Yet, some people breed them specifically for their extra toes and other charming characteristics.

9. There Was a Polydactyl Cat in the White House

Theodore Roosevelt had various interesting animals throughout his life. During his presidency, he had several pets in the White House, including a polydactyl cat named Slippers. According to historians, Slippers was quite a bold cat, often inviting himself to White House dinners or posting himself in the middle of hallways during dignitaries’ visits.

10. Two Polydactyl Cats Made it Into the Guinness Book of World Record

Most cats have a total of 18 toes — five on each front paw and four on the back paws. However, polydactyls often have 20 toes. Sometimes they have even more. Jake was a red tabby from Ontario, Canada, with seven toes on each of his paws, totaling 28 in all. He was listed in the Guinness Book of World Records in 2002. He was later joined in this honor by a Minnesota tabby named Paws, who also boasted 28 toes.