Polydactyl cat

[Uppercrust]

We decided to add a fifth cat to our house and adopted. Not sure how to post a picture from my iPad cause I don't have a card reader to upload a photo. This kitten is 4 months old, all 4 feet have extra tows, looks like mittens in front, he is solid black. Has anyone else had a cat like this? We need a name also, don't like the name he came with Marcos.

[WandaLust2]

CA POPPY wrote:
Congrats on the new kid! Has your kitten been neutered already? If not, your vet may want to consider removing any extra toes that grow the wrong direction or that cause the kitten any discomfort.

I have seen this happen once where I worked for years in a NYC Animal Hosp. The 6th, maybe 7th toe was kind of backwards on one paw. It's hard to remember exactly after all these years. The claw would catch on things, snag because of it's unnatural position. It had to go. The surgeon removed it. In general the veterinarians were I worked did not encourage de-clawing but had no problem removing with such toes/claws.

[WandaLust2]

Uppercrust wrote:

This kitten is 4 months old, all 4 feet have extra tows, looks like mittens in front, he is solid black. Has anyone else had a cat like this? We need a name also, don't like the name he came with Marcos.

My first cat at age 11 had front paws that looked like mittens. But no extra toes on the hind paws. He was gray and white.

[Uppercrust]

Jayco noticed him and ran away. Our dog Daisy wasn't so sure.

[CA_POPPY]

Uppercrust wrote:
5 on back and the front are 7 they look like mittens. Right now he is cuddling with my husband and slowly getting used to the dogs. The other cats haven't noticed him yet.

Oh, I'll bet the other cats are just pretending they don't see him and hoping he goes away. :W Not even a cricket gets by a cat.

[toedtoes]

Mine had 7 on the front feet. I once scanned his foot...

[Uppercrust]

5 on back and the front are 7 they look like mittens. Right now he is cuddling with my husband and slowly getting used to the dogs. The other cats haven't noticed him yet.

[toedtoes]

Ernie (Ernest) is a good name. When you introduce him to people, start with "this is our Hemingway Cat, Ernie". 🙂

He has 5 toes on each back foot? How many on the front feet?

[raceman6135]

Call him Beauregard: a distinctive name for a distinctive cat!

[Uppercrust]

We are calling him Ernie he is all black and has been neutered.

[Mr__Camper]

How about naming him "Cinco?"

[CA_POPPY]

Congrats on the new kid! Has your kitten been neutered already? If not, your vet may want to consider removing any extra toes that grow the wrong direction or that cause the kitten any discomfort. Usually, they aren't a problem, though. Of all the cats I've known in my life, the black cats have always been extremely loving and people-oriented. They often get passed over in favor of the prettier kitties, but they shouldn't be. Personality is everything in a cat. An early black cat in my life was named Midnight.

[toedtoes]

Even though mine had a claw that was positioned in such a way that it could become ingrown, a simple nail clipping on a regular basis resolved it nicely.

If you start touching his paws now in a casual way, he will handle the clipping well. I used to sit mine on my lap (back feet out and his back aagainst my stomach) and count each toe on each foot. Splaying the toes slightly as I counted. This got him used to my handling his toes, so he never really noticed when I started adding the clipping to the process. I have since done this with all my cats to simplify the clipping process - only my current one has issues and that's because he can't stand being still for more than 2 seconds at a time.

[Uppercrust]

Thank you Doug for that information. I will be talking to my vet and seeing what he says.

[dturm]

Let's not get into a discussion about +/- declawing in general.

There are some instances of polydactyl cats that need to have the offending claw removed for medical reasons, chronic infection, inability to effectively trim the nail. But, not all need to have it done just because there are extra toes. Your vet would be a good source of opinion about whether or not this would be advised.