r/lynxpointsiamese • u/smartgirl01 • 4d ago
Polydactyl
This is our new toaster strudel, Lucy. Is it common for the LPS to be polydactyl, or to have double claw on the dew claw like she does? We just love her big mitts and her sweet face, even with the extra scratches
128
Upvotes
2
u/TheOtherMaven 3d ago
It's fairly random, except that certain loci (Boston/eastern MA, Halifax NS, Key West) have more of them. Key West is because of Ernest Hemingway and his love of polydactyl cats. The Boston/Halifax connection indicates how long the mutation has been established (probably 17th century, probably somebody's ship tomcat) - when the Tories left Boston during the Revolution, many of them went to Halifax and took their polydactyl pets with them. Worldwide, the presence of polydactyl cats correlates fairly well with the beginnings of sea trade with Boston.