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| And now for something completely different... (Page 1/2) |
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Patrick
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MAR 30, 02:40 AM
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This very unusual cat turned up at my place a couple of weeks ago. I've never seen anything like this before! 
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williegoat
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MAR 30, 01:22 PM
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Name him Hound Dog Taylor. Blues aficionados will understand.
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maryjane
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MAR 30, 02:08 PM
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Patrick
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MAR 30, 03:51 PM
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| quote | Originally posted by williegoat:
Name him Hound Dog Taylor. Blues aficionados will understand.
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I looked him up...
| quote | From Here:
Taylor had a condition known as polydactylism, which resulted in him having six fingers on both hands. As is usual with the condition, the extra digits were rudimentary nubbins and could not be moved. One night, while drunk, he cut off the extra digit on his right hand using a straight razor.
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Yikes! 
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Patrick
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MAR 30, 03:58 PM
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| quote | Originally posted by maryjane:
'thumbs' up...
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Heh heh... I contacted my ex who volunteers at a local cat shelter, and I told her about this cat with "thumbs". It was she who informed me of polydactyl cats. I'd never heard of them before, let alone seen one. They have an interesting history.
| quote |
The condition seems to be most commonly found in cats along the East Coast of North America (in the United States and Canada) and in South West England, Wales and Kingston-upon-Hull. Polydactyl cats have been extremely popular as ship's cats. Although there is some controversy over whether the most common variant of the trait originated as a mutation in New England or was brought there from Britain, there seems to be agreement that it spread widely as a result of cats carried on ships originating in Boston, Massachusetts, and the prevalence of polydactyly among the cat population of various ports correlates with the dates when they first established trade with Boston. Contributing to the spread of polydactyl cats by this means, sailors were long known to value polydactyl cats especially for their extraordinary climbing and hunting abilities as an aid in controlling shipboard rodents. Some sailors thought they bring good luck at sea. The rarity of polydactyl cats in Europe may be because they were hunted and killed based on superstitions about witchcraft.
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[This message has been edited by Patrick (edited 03-30-2024).]
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82-T/A [At Work]
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MAR 31, 01:54 PM
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| quote | Originally posted by Patrick:
This very unusual cat turned up at my place a couple of weeks ago. I've never seen anything like this before!
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My daughter's boyfriend has a cat like that... also white and black fur too. Except this cat (I think it's a girl) has 7 fingers on each of the front paws. The cat doesn't know any better of course, but has no issues... does all the same things other cats do.
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Patrick
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MAR 31, 08:16 PM
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| quote | Originally posted by 82-T/A [At Work]:
The cat doesn't know any better of course, but has no issues... does all the same things other cats do.
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And actually may be able to do some things even better (climbing and hunting, as mentioned earlier)... with the aid of its extra digits and therefore extra claws.
When I watch this cat roaming about in my backyard, I can see that these odd looking paws are of no impediment whatsoever. I was thinking of keeping this cat (if it indeed turns out it hasn't got a home)... but my other cat is scared of it. So... that's kind of a deal killer. 
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Patrick
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APR 06, 12:15 AM
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82-T/A [At Work]
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APR 06, 11:47 AM
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| quote | Originally posted by Patrick:
With the help of a long-time friend who's very much into animal rescue, I think we've tracked down the owner this cat's servant.  My friend saw the video above that I had also linked to on Facebook, and she pointed me in the right direction. The cat appears to be about a mile from its home, and various people have reported online seeing the happy wanderer. (I've attached a couple of photos that someone had posted of it.) However, they all report they haven't seen it for about two weeks... and that's because it's taken up residence in my backyard. lol
 
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Nice, glad to see the cat is well cared for!
And also...
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Patrick
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APR 06, 02:34 PM
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| quote | Originally posted by 82-T/A [At Work]:
 | | CLICK FOR FULL SIZE |
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What is the significance of "The Larch"?
| quote | Originally posted by 82-T/A [At Work]:
Nice, glad to see the cat is well cared for!
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Keep in mind that those two photos were posted by someone in the neighborhood who took them when this cat was just "visiting" them. I've been the one the last two or three weeks who has "well cared for" it.
By the way, here's the photo of the cat posted by the owner. I'm 99.99% sure it's the same cat. The angle of the photo makes it appear as though the back paws are massive, when in reality it's the front paws with the extra toes that are huge! lol
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