Common Traits

• The trait of having extra toes on a feline is common in cats with that genetic marker. The normal number of toes on each front paw is five--four on the front paw and one dew claw farther up the leg. The back paws should have four claws on each paw. Any other number of claws on a cat is considered abnormal and is called polydactyl. Maine Coon cats are known for polydactylism.
  
  

Problems

• Usually cats with extra toes do not have any problems. Their feet are larger than those of other cats, but other than having more toes to clean, the condition does not hinder the cats. The extra toe's claw can become ingrown, but extra care should prevent this from happening. Some polydactyl cats also have a missing or damaged radius in the front leg, known as radial hypoplasia.
  
  

Breed

• Maine Coon cats have a high incidence of polydactyly compared to other breeds. Some Maine Coon cats are bred specifically to remove the trait of extra toes. Some owners viewed the extra toes as a sign of poor breeding, while others felt that the toes were part of the Maine Coon trait. Although the trait is genetic, the Maine Coon Breeders Association has specific guidelines that encourage the trait to be bred out of the breed.
  
  

Science

• Polydactyly is not a deformity but a genetic trait. The gene that causes polydactyly is not the same gene that causes the split toe, although it is often confused with that trait. The split toe is a deformity, caused by the SP gene, where polydactyly is caused by the Pd gene. Polydactyly is not gender specific. Polydactyl cats cannot be bred without a polydactyl cat--in other words, two nonpolydactyl cats cannot produce a polydactyl kitten.
  
  

Famous Ties

• Many polydactyl cats trace their history back to the author Ernest Hemingway. On one of Hemingway's travels, he met a sea captain who later gave Hemingway a six-toed tomcat. Hemingway took this tomcat to his home in Key West, Florida, where the animal sired multiple kittens with six toes. These cats continued to produce six-toed offspring. Some of the polydactyl cats at Hemingway's home and museum are thought to be direct descendents of the original tomcat with six toes.