Westchester County, NY rescue FURRR 911 recently took in one polydactyl kitten with 24 toes. And the 4-week-old polydactyl kitten’s huge paws were the biggest they had seen! Generally, kittens have 18 toes, with five toes on the front paws and four on the back.
That’s a Lot of Toe Beans
Although it’s not uncommon to encounter a polydactyl cat working in rescue, this one’s paws are exceptional for such a young kitten.
“When your 4 week old kitten’s front paws are bigger than your thumb, you know that there are a whole lot of toes here! 😳😳😳😹”
Polydactyl Kitten with ‘Incredibly Huge’ Paws
In an update, we see the full picture, which is absurdly cute!
“I know, I know. You are probably thinking enough with the pictures of paws already.
We have had numerous polydactyl kittens (born with more than the normal number of toes) over the years. We have even had a kitten with 8 toes on a foot which is one more than this kitten. However, we have never seen such incredibly HUGE paws on a 4 week old kitten before. Every feeding I sit here and marvel at his feet. Cannot even imagine what his mitts will look like as he grows!”
What will they name this kitten? Well, people offered many suggestions on Facebook. Some thought of names that Hemingway used for his famous polydactyl cats, like Bumby. Another thought Mittz with a z would be fitting. Someone thought Bigfoot would be perfect, but the rescue already had a cat named Bigfoot and many of the other names suggested. So, we’ll have to see which name wins out in the end. Follow Furrr 911 on Facebook or Instagram to see more.
The Year of Black Kittens
Meanwhile, with spring kitten season in effect, the nonprofit rescue has been “indundated with litters of black kittens.” Last year, they said people were looking to adopt black kittens, which is great! But there weren’t as many as this year, and they shared the story of some “fancy black panthers” with curly hair.
“Each year, we notice trends that carry through ‘kitten season.’ Some years we see that the majority of our kittens are male, whereas other years, they are predominantly females (it is still too early to determine what 2022 will be labeled). However, this year is definitely shaping up to be the year of black and black tuxedo kittens for us! Last year, we had adopters looking specifically for black kitties, and we received fewer than any other year,” they posted to Facebook.
Fancy Black Panthers
In 2022, the black kittens are coming fast, including some fancy panthers.
“This Spring, we have been inundated with litters of black kittens; however, today brought a first for us. We received a litter of kittens who hitched a ride from Queens, NY, into Long Island in the engine of a car. A friend sent us a picture of the hitchhiking kittens, and we noticed that the fur of two of the kittens looked strange. We wondered if perhaps their fur was singed by the engine. Upon arrival, we realized that two of the kittens were domestic short-haired kitties and two have curly fur. We have never had any babies with gorgeous waves like this (check out the pictures of their beautiful coats). We cannot wait to see how they look as they get older. Welcome fancy black panthers!”
More Polydactyl Kittens
Recently, we shared the story of polydactyl kitty Jinx, whose toes resemble extra paws on each foot. Sharing his story, the Kansas Humane Society joked the cat was planning to use the extra paws “for world domination,” or at least “daily cat things.”
Another kitten named Goose has what looks like opposable thumbs, so watch out world! Cats are already dominating the internet and given opposable thumbs; our cat overlords may be ready to be worshipped again as they were in ancient times.
If you’re looking for a unique kitten or cat, now is the time as most rescues and shelters are overwhelmed with so many new arrivals. Perhaps, the perfect companion is waiting near you? Although there’s nothing cuter than kittens, older cats can make the perfect companions, and often have a much harder time finding homes, so give an older cat a closer look.
As always, adopt, don’t shop!