WE BREED FIVE TOED CATS

CELTIC MAGIC CATS

"My cat RINGO in a bad mood?"

EMAIL=fivetoedcats@yahoo.ca

FIVE TOED CATS

In the New Scientist of 12 May, 2001, it was asserted by Chris Hayes that "five is the magic number" of digits.

This was based on the assumption that the genetic mutation that produces the extra toes is also responsible for deformities and that possession of more than five digits is a "counter-survival trait". His assertion was based on observation of mice with deformities caused by genetic mutations. However, what is true for mice is not necessarily true for other animals and there are many healthy cats with six or more digits. Fossil evidence shows that early amphibians also had 7 or 8 toes.

Polydactyl, or extra digits, is a common trait among cats, particularly it seems, among Celtic cats and cats on part of America's Eastern coast and South West Britain. This distribution may well be linked. Except for Twisty Cats, polydactyl is not a product of bad breeding. It is simply a naturally occurring genetic variation and, as noted later on, polydactyl is found in fossil reptiles - meaning that five digits might be the abnormal form!