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Have you ever seen a cat with extra toes? It\u2019s a seemingly weird phenomenon called polydactyl. According to an article at the Catster website, polydactyls are not all that uncommon. I guess most of us have seen or known a cat with six or more toes on a paw. Most commonly you\u2019ll see the extra toes on the front paws, but they can also occur on the back paws.<\/p>\n
Sometimes these cats are known as Hemmingway cats. Evidently, a sea captain gave author, Ernest Hemmingway a polydactyl cat and he developed an obsession for cats with extra toes. In fact of the fifty cats still at his Key West, Florida estate, most of them are polydactyls. Why did the sea captain have a polydactyl cat? Because of a superstition. It was once thought that polydactyl cats brought good luck at sea.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s an interesting fact, Maine coon cats often have extra toes and it\u2019s thought this is Some think the paws of a polydactyl cat look like the cat\u2019s wearing mittens. If you have a polydactyl cat, you may have noticed that the dew claw of these cats might tend to curl around and go back into the paw pad. However, we have normal-pawed cats that this happens to. So I know this isn\u2019t unique to the polydactyl cats. In fact, today, I urge you to check your cats\u2019 claws to make sure they are not growing out of control.<\/p>\n Do you trim your cat\u2019s claws? If she\u2019s an inside-only cat, you\u2019re probably going to want to snip those needle-sharp tips off of her claws from time to time. It\u2019s important to keep an eye on a cat\u2019s claws to make sure there aren\u2019t issues, such as a thickening of the claw, a broken or torn claw, or that the claw isn\u2019t curled around and growing into the pad. OUCH! Here\u2019s a site that shows how to trim your cat\u2019s claws. If you can\u2019t manage, take her to your veterinarian. They have a way with cats who can outsmart their owners.<\/p>\n http:\/\/www.instructables.com\/id\/how-to-trim-your-cats-claws\/<\/a><\/p>\n Do you sometimes find what look like your cat\u2019s claws around the house? It\u2019s okay. She didn\u2019t lose a claw, she simply shed the outer layer of the claw. This is normal. So be sure to provide one or more scratching posts or pads for your cats. They need to use their claws in order to help shed those claw sheaths.<\/p>\n It may take time to choose the right scratching material for your cat. In our home, we have a carpeted cat tree that our cats love to shred. They also use a cardboard scratch pad and we inherited a large wooden cat tree that they enjoy climbing, hanging out on, and clawing. Does this keep them from clawing the furniture? Wellllll, I believe it certainly cuts down on their tendency to shred our belongings.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Have you ever seen a cat with extra toes? It\u2019s a seemingly weird phenomenon called polydactyl. According to an article at the Catster website, polydactyls are not all that uncommon. I guess most of us have seen or known a … Continue reading ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.matilijapress.com\/catscapades\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/cutekitten-225x300.jpg\")
because they originated in Maine and needed the wider foot to make their way through the snow. Here\u2019s a site with more information and some adorable pictures of polydactyl cats. http:\/\/www.catster.com\/lifestyle\/polydactyl-cats-facts<\/a><\/p>\n