Polydactyl Cats

kitari · 07-08-2011, 06:38 PM

What are the health issues with polydactyl cats? My baby boy is polydactyl. Not sure to what extent yet (Im asking now) but Im just wondering you know ahead of time.

cooncatbob · 07-08-2011, 06:51 PM

None really, you just need to watch that they don't get an ingrown claw.
You can google the term and pull up some interesting sites.
Some people thing it make for a more dextrous kitty, so the can open and get into stuff that other cats can't, like having thumbs.

laurief · 07-08-2011, 07:02 PM

I have five polydactyl cats, and the only problem any of them have ever had is the small claws that some of them have between their primary toes. Those claws can be tucked so far down between their toes that they can be extremely difficult to clip, and they can get really sharp. If I see one of my polys start to limp, I have to get those smaller claws clipped so that they don't stab the sides of their toes when they walk.

Polys are very good at grabbing things if they have double foot pads. They can also climb trees like nobody's business.

Laurie

laurief · 07-08-2011, 07:07 PM

Here's a link to a page with LOTS of poly info and pics:

Polydactyl Cats

Mary_NH · 07-08-2011, 09:29 PM

just an extra toe(s) not sure why there would be health problems. My poly boy has that extra claw between the toe and rest of his toes and his tends to grow toward the paw so I have to also keep a close eye on it....I know people who have had just that particular claw removed from their poly cats (especially long-haired ones who are more difficult to see their claws). Being very anti-declaw I prefer to just check it closely.
No health problems with my Zeus

Mary_NH · 07-08-2011, 09:34 PM

Zeus has large paws....not a good picture of his "toe" but shows his big feet

laurief · 07-08-2011, 10:30 PM

Here are pics of some of the poly feet in my household. Noddy (light grey tabby) is poly both front and rear. His female cousins, BooBoo (darker grey tabby) and Pretty (black longhair) both have thumbs in front and normal feet behind. They have a third sister and a mother with all normal feet. Sweet Sweet and Siliman (male orange tabbies - not related, as far as I know) might be poly both front and rear, but I'd have to check their rear feet to be sure (I can't remember at the moment). I find it interesting that each of my three poly boys have more toes than the two poly girls.

Laurie

konstargirl · 07-08-2011, 10:48 PM

I don't know if this is true, but I heard of Poly's get to be big. Is that true?

laurief · 07-08-2011, 10:59 PM

Not necessarily. Noddy is massive. At his heaviest (morbidly obese), he was 26.45 lbs. He now weighs in at a too-lean weight of just over 16 lbs. At the other end of the scale, BooBoo, Siliman, and Sweet Sweet are all within spitting distance of 10 lbs, while Pretty is about 11.4 lbs.

konstargirl · 07-08-2011, 11:01 PM

Oh okay. I guess I was just reading a myth??

07-08-2011, 06:38 PM	#1 (permalink)
kitari Cat Join Date: Dec 2008 Posts: 220	Polydactyl Cats What are the health issues with polydactyl cats? My baby boy is polydactyl. Not sure to what extent yet (Im asking now) but Im just wondering you know ahead of time.

07-08-2011, 09:29 PM	#5 (permalink)
Mary_NH Tom Cat Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: New Hampshire USA Posts: 364	just an extra toe(s) not sure why there would be health problems. My poly boy has that extra claw between the toe and rest of his toes and his tends to grow toward the paw so I have to also keep a close eye on it....I know people who have had just that particular claw removed from their poly cats (especially long-haired ones who are more difficult to see their claws). Being very anti-declaw I prefer to just check it closely. No health problems with my Zeus __________________ may your heart be filled with purrs and fur

07-08-2011, 09:34 PM	#6 (permalink)
Mary_NH Tom Cat Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: New Hampshire USA Posts: 364	Zeus has large paws....not a good picture of his "toe" but shows his big feet __________________ may your heart be filled with purrs and fur

07-08-2011, 10:30 PM	#7 (permalink)
laurief Cat Addict Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: northern Minnesota Posts: 2,576	Here are pics of some of the poly feet in my household. Noddy (light grey tabby) is poly both front and rear. His female cousins, BooBoo (darker grey tabby) and Pretty (black longhair) both have thumbs in front and normal feet behind. They have a third sister and a mother with all normal feet. Sweet Sweet and Siliman (male orange tabbies - not related, as far as I know) might be poly both front and rear, but I'd have to check their rear feet to be sure (I can't remember at the moment). I find it interesting that each of my three poly boys have more toes than the two poly girls. Laurie Attached Thumbnails

07-08-2011, 10:48 PM	#8 (permalink)
konstargirl Premier Cat Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Chicago, USA Posts: 3,533	I don't know if this is true, but I heard of Poly's get to be big. Is that true? __________________ Every animal deserves love.

07-08-2011, 06:51 PM	#2 (permalink)
cooncatbob Cat Addict Join Date: May 2011 Location: Carmichael, CA. Posts: 1,600	None really, you just need to watch that they don't get an ingrown claw. You can google the term and pull up some interesting sites. Some people thing it make for a more dextrous kitty, so the can open and get into stuff that other cats can't, like having thumbs.

07-08-2011, 07:02 PM	#3 (permalink)
laurief Cat Addict Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: northern Minnesota Posts: 2,576	I have five polydactyl cats, and the only problem any of them have ever had is the small claws that some of them have between their primary toes. Those claws can be tucked so far down between their toes that they can be extremely difficult to clip, and they can get really sharp. If I see one of my polys start to limp, I have to get those smaller claws clipped so that they don't stab the sides of their toes when they walk. Polys are very good at grabbing things if they have double foot pads. They can also climb trees like nobody's business. Laurie

07-08-2011, 07:07 PM	#4 (permalink)
laurief Cat Addict Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: northern Minnesota Posts: 2,576	Here's a link to a page with LOTS of poly info and pics: Polydactyl Cats

07-08-2011, 10:59 PM	#9 (permalink)
laurief Cat Addict Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: northern Minnesota Posts: 2,576	Not necessarily. Noddy is massive. At his heaviest (morbidly obese), he was 26.45 lbs. He now weighs in at a too-lean weight of just over 16 lbs. At the other end of the scale, BooBoo, Siliman, and Sweet Sweet are all within spitting distance of 10 lbs, while Pretty is about 11.4 lbs.

07-08-2011, 11:01 PM	#10 (permalink)
konstargirl Premier Cat Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Chicago, USA Posts: 3,533	Oh okay. I guess I was just reading a myth?? __________________ Every animal deserves love.

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