Polydactyl cat History

The condition seems to be most commonly found in cats along the East Coast of the United States and in South West England. Some sources state that these cats are rare in Europe because they were killed as witches' familiars,[1] but other sources indicate that they are quite common in England. [2] Polydactyl Cats are very common in the Cardigan area of Wales and are known as Cardi-Cats. A Canadian cat called Tiger was recognised by Guinness World Records as having the highest number of toes on a cat, with 27 toes.[3] The current world record for the cat with most toes belongs to Jake who has 28 toes, with seven on each paw, as counted by a veterinarian on September 24, 2002.[citation needed]

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 England, there seems to be agreement that it spread widely as a result of cats carried on ships originating in Boston, and the prevalence of polydactylism among the cat population of various ports correlates with the dates when they first established trade with Boston.[1][2] Contributing to the spread of polydactyl cats by this means, sailors were long-known to especially value polydactyl cats for their extraordinary climbing and hunting abilities as an aid in controlling shipboard rodents. Some sailors also considered them to be extremely good luck when at sea.