It might surprise you to know that most cats have five toes on their front little paws and just four toes on their hind paws. This imbalance is perfectly normal and nothing to worry about but there are also cats with the condition of extra toes known as polydactyl. If you are looking at your kitty’s paws right now and discovering for the first time that she is a polydactyl, have no fear, this condition is no harm to your cat’s health but there are some extra ways you can care for your unique cat’s feet.
The most common case with polydactyl kitty feet is that the cat has an extra two on her back paws evening out the ratio to ten toes in back and ten toes in front. However, it isn’t unheard of to have a cat with up to 8 toes. In fact, it is a common enough condition that there is a nickname for it: “Boston Thumb Cats”. Maybe Boston is rampant with 8 toed cats.
All fun aside, if you do discover an extra toe or two on your kitty be sure to take a little extra time when you are caring for her feet and nails. Sometimes the nail on the extra toe will grow crooked or hooked and can dig into your cat’s foot making her cranky and uncomfortable. Be sure to keep her nails trimmed and watch for any abnormalities in her walking. The majority of the time polydactyl cats have absolutely no problems.