Polydactyl Cats: Why Do Some Cats Have Extra Toes?

Cats have a total of 18 toes: five on each front paw, and four on each back paw. But some cats boast extra toes, usually on their front paws. These cats are called “polydactyl.” The word polydactyl has a greek root, “poly” meaning multi, and “dactyl” meaning “digit” or “toe.” Polydactyly, as this condition is called, is most commonly found on the front paws only, it is rare for a cat to have polydactyl hind paws only, and polydactyly of all four paws is even less common.

In a recent article fo...