Gross out? (Activities & Oddities).WHAT'S SO "gross" about Twinkle Toes, a darling short-haired domestic tiger cat? Her toes. With 25, she sports the most of any feline in the world, claims the Guinness Book of Records. Cats normally have 18:10 toes on front paws and eight on hind paws. But Twinkle Toes has six toes on each paw--except for her front right paw, which has seven. Why the extra digits? This feisty 3-year-old is polydactyl--having too many toes or fingers. The condition is a genetic trait, or inherited characteristic passed down from Twinkle Toes' mother, who has 21 toes! "It's fairly common," says the cat's veterinarian veterinarian /vet·er·i·nar·i·an/ (vet?er-i-nar´e-an) a person trained and authorized to practice veterinary medicine and surgery; a doctor of veterinary medicine. vet·er·i·nar·i·an n. Dr. Glen Darrow at Bavarian Veterinarian Hospital in Frankenmuth, Michigan Frankenmuth is a city in Saginaw County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 4,838 at the 2000 census. The city is located within Frankenmuth Township, but is politically independent. . "But Twinkle Toes definitely has the most toes I've ever seen." According to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. Darrow, about 5 percent of cats are born with extra digits. While a polydactyl pol·y·dac·tyl or pol·y·dac·ty·lous adj. Having more than the normal number of digits on a hand or foot. pet may look odd, the extra toes usually cause no discomfort. They may even come in handy Verb 1. come in handy - be useful for a certain purpose be - have the quality of being; (copula, used with an adjective or a predicate noun); "John is rich"; "This is not a good answer" when hunting stray mice. "The cats are typically very healthy," Darrow says. "In fact, their wide feet would probably make them great swimmers." If only cats liked water. |
|
||||||||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion