Maine Coon colors · Kats Kits, Farmington, Minnesota
Polydactyl Maine Coon Kittens for Sale
A polydactyl Maine Coon has extra toes, usually on the front feet, which gives it big, rounded paws that look like mittens. The trait goes back to the breed's earliest days in New England, and many people look for it on purpose.
This page explains what polydactyl means, where it comes from and how to look after a cat with extra toes.
Available Polydactyl Maine Coon Kittens
Jean
Bright, lively and confident, with extra toes.
What Does Polydactyl Mean?
Polydactyl simply means many toes. A normal cat has 18: five on each front foot and four on each back foot. A polydactyl cat has more, most often one or two extra toes on each front foot, sometimes on the back feet as well.
The extra toes can sit on the thumb side, which gives the "mitten" or "thumb cat" look, or alongside the normal toes, which makes the whole paw broader. The kitten in the photo has extra toes on her front feet.
Where Extra Toes Come From
Polydactyly in Maine Coons comes from a natural, dominant gene. A cat needs only one copy to have extra toes, so a polydactyl parent usually passes them on to around half of its kittens.
Early Maine Coons in New England were often polydactyl, and the big paws are said to have worked like snowshoes in the Maine winters. As the breed was developed for the show ring, extra toes became less common in many lines, but some breeders have always kept them.
Is Polydactyly Harmful?
No. Extra toes from the polydactyl gene do not hurt the cat or slow it down: polydactyl Maine Coons walk, run, climb and play like any other. Some owners say their cats are especially handy with their paws.
The one thing to watch is the claws. An extra claw, especially one on the thumb side, may not touch the ground and wear down, so it can grow round into the pad if it is not trimmed. Check and trim the claws every couple of weeks; your vet can show you how. Kats Kits kittens are not to be declawed without the breeder's approval, and that applies to every toe.
Sailors, Snowshoes and Hemingway
Polydactyl cats have a long history in New England. Sailors were said to value them as ship's cats, believing the big paws made them steadier on deck and better mousers, and that may be how the trait spread through the port towns of the Northeast, where the Maine Coon developed.
The most famous polydactyls are not Maine Coons at all. The writer Ernest Hemingway was given a six-toed cat by a ship's captain, and the cats that still live at his former home in Key West, Florida, many of them with extra toes, are descended from it. That is why polydactyl cats are often called Hemingway cats.
Can a Polydactyl Maine Coon Be Shown?
Registries differ: some accept polydactyl Maine Coons in the show ring and others do not. For a pet it makes no difference at all, and Kats Kits pet kittens are not shown without Kat's written permission. A polydactyl Maine Coon is the same breed, the same size and the same temperament as any other; see Maine Coon personality and how big they get.
Polydactyl Maine Coon Questions
Are all Maine Coons polydactyl?
No. Extra toes run in some Maine Coon lines, but most Maine Coons have the normal number.
How much is a polydactyl Maine Coon kitten?
A polydactyl Maine Coon kitten from Kats Kits is $700, and a $200 deposit reserves one.
Is polydactyly harmful to a Maine Coon?
No. The extra toes come from a natural gene and the cat walks, climbs and plays normally. The extra claws do need trimming, as they can curl round into the pad if left.
How many toes does a polydactyl Maine Coon have?
It varies. A normal cat has 18 toes, five on each front foot and four on each back foot. A polydactyl usually has one or two extra on the front feet, and sometimes on the back feet too.
Will a polydactyl kitten have polydactyl kittens?
It can. The trait is dominant, so a polydactyl cat bred to a cat with normal feet usually passes extra toes to around half of the kittens. Kats Kits pet kittens go home on a spay or neuter agreement, so this only matters to breeders.
Other Maine Coon Colors
- Orange and Red Maine CoonsRed, ginger and cream tabbies
- Black and Smoke Maine CoonsSolid black and black smoke
- Blue and Silver Maine CoonsBlue, blue tabby and silver
- Tortie and Calico Maine CoonsTortoiseshell, torbie and calico
- All Maine Coon colorsEvery color and pattern explained
- Available kittensEvery kitten ready to go home now
Ask About a Polydactyl Kitten
Call Kat on (651) 463-4780 or email katskitscattery@aol.com, and see how kittens travel if you live outside Minnesota.