Welcome To Poly Paws

Odd Eye, Polydactyl, Hemingway, Mitten Kittens, Big Feet

The place for Polydactyl cats or kittens! 

Pearl is due to have her babies the first week of March, 2010! See her on the Princess page!

Hello and welcome to Poly Paws!  We are a cattery located in the western part of Indiana, specializing in polydactyls.  Our cats and kittens are strictly indoor pets and are treated like our children, they have never been caged and have full reign of our house.  Our kittens are Felv/Fiv negative, vet checked, vaccinated, and dewormed.  

Polydactyl cats are also called Hemingway (after Ernest Hemingway's love of Polydactyl's), Mitten cats, or just Poly cats.  Polydactyl's are cats or kittens born with extra toes.  Many polydactyl's use their hands like we do and can open lids, doors, and grab things that normal cats cannot do.  A normal cat's foot has 5 toes on the front (1 is a dewclaw) and 4 toes on the back.  Polydactyl cats or kittens can have 5, 6, 7, or 8 toes on the front and some have extra toes on the back paws.  Most of the time, the extra toes are on the front paws but it can occur on the back paws as well.  It is rare for a cat or kitten to only have extra toes on the back and not on the front.

The only extra care that a polydactyl requires more than the normal cat is the nails need to be kept trimmed to avoid the nail growing into the pad of the cat or kittens paw since many times the extra nails do not retract like a normal cat's nails.  You can easily do this yourself.  Polydactyl's are also believed to bring the owner good luck!