Cat Paws and Claws

A cat's fore paws are made up of sets of three small bones, each of which forms a digit corresponding to the finger of the human hand. The tiny bones at the end of each digit are highly specialized and articulate so that the claws may be extended or contracted at will. The cat has no thumb, but a corresponding digit that comprises two bones which form the dew claw. In the hind feet the bones are longer and the first toe is absent altogether. Claws are made up of keratin (the same material which forms hair), and grow continuously from the base, like human fingernails. There are five claws on the fore paws but only four on each hind paw; the fifth claw acts rather like our thumb, helping cats to grip when they climb and when holding prey.

Cats with extra digits (polydactyls)

Occasionally, a cat has more digits than is normal on either or both of the fore and hind paws. This anomaly sometimes occurs in cross-breeds, and is nothing to be concerned about (being no more than a gene mutation) because it does not usually affect a cat's health or movement. If, however, this condition occurs in pedigree cats, it has more serious implications for the breeder, though not for the cat. The cat will not conform to breed standards, and so will have little value. Pedigree cats who are afflicted should therefore not he bred from, so as not to perpetuate the condition.

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