![]() This ‘thumb,’ however, is not truly opposable, and polydactyl cats are not able to open their own tins or perform any other very un cat-like feats!Normal cats generally have eighteen toes altogether- four on the pads of each paw, and an additional two dewclaws slightly higher up on the front legs. ![]() If the word ‘polydactyl’ is one that you have never heard before, you could easily be forgiven for thinking that it is the name for some kind of dinosaur, or something equally exotic! However, the reality of the matter is somewhat different, although also rather unusual- the word ‘polydactyl’ is taken from the Greek words for many (poly) and fingers (dactyl), and refers to a person, or animal, that has extra fingers, toes or other digits on their hand or foot.Polydactyl cats, therefore, are cats that have an extra toe on one or more of their feet, leading to them sometimes being colloquially referred to as ‘mitten cats’ or ‘boxing cats,’ among many other terms! Often the positioning of the extra toe gives the appearance to the cat of having four fingers and a thumb, in the same way that people do- So, do polydactyl cats really have opposable thumbs? What does it mean to own a polydactyl cat, and is polydactyly (the condition of being polydactyl) a problem for cats? Read on to find out! What exactly is polydactyly?įeline polydactyly is a genetically inherited physical anomaly that leads to the cat in question being born with extra toes, usually alongside of the regular toes in the position in which there would, in animals such as people, be a thumb.
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