Cat how many toes

Hemingway cats have polydactyly, which is also known as polydactylism or hyperdactyly. Normally cats have a total of 18 toes, with 5 toes on each of their front paws and 4 toes on each of their back paws. However, Hemingway cats can have up to nine toes on each paw. Usually the extra toes are on the front paws, not the hind paws. Polydactyly is an inherited trait, meaning cats are likely to get it if one of their parents has extra toes.

Hemingway cats are found all over the country, but they are especially common along the east coast in North America and Canada. They are also found in South West England and Wales. Hemingway cats are easy to care for!

In fact, caring for them is very similar to how one would care for a cat with the usual number of digits. You also want to make sure to keep their nails clipped to avoid infection and ingrowns. You might be wondering why these cats are so prevalent along the east coast. Polydactyl cats were thought to be lucky by sailors. They found their way onto boats, their extra toes giving them added balance on ships in stormy weather.

They were also thought to be better mousers. Genetically, polydactylism is a simple autosomal unrelated to gender dominant trait. Cats with extra toes have the dominant gene PD. A cat needs only one copy of the gene from either parent to have the trait. It is simply an enchanting quirk. The toenails associated with the extra toes tend to be normal nails, although the extra toe occasionally might be incompletely formed and the nail bed deformed, leading to claw problems like ingrown or overgrown nails.

Like all kitty toenails, the extra ones require regular trimming. If you are wondering, the most toes ever found on a cat, reported in , was 32 toes, eight on each paw. The current record holder is Tiger, a toed kitty from Alberta, Canada.

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In fact, a polydactyl cat even made it to the White House. President Theodore Roosevelt had a cat with extra toes named Slippers. Some have as many as eight toes on a given paw! Polydactyly is a genetic abnormality that causes extra toes to form on one or more paw. Most polydactyl cats have extra toes on their front paws, though some have extras on the back paws, as well. So even if one cat has a normal amount of toes while the other is polydactyl, 40 to 50 percent of their kittens will have extra toes.

In fact, they can be quite beneficial.