We’ve heard many folk tales or stories about cats over time. We’ve had family fun movies such as DreamWorks Puss in Boots, we’ve had books or stories such as Cat in the Hat, cartoons we used to enjoy on Saturday mornings like Thundercats, and even plays centered around the felines – Cats. There are many more things involving cats that we’ve heard, told, seen, or experienced, and some of them might be true.
For example, some of us might have read the children’s story The Cat Who Loved The Moon by Jennifer Reynolds, or seen Nyan cat flying through space in the popular meme, but did you know that a cat actually went to the moon? It’s true – in 1963 a cat was sent to space. This was the only cat that has been sent out to space, and its name was Felicette, but it was also known as Astrocat. A much cooler name if you ask me.
Another well-known cat-themed rhyme is Janet Sinclair Gray’s rhyme: Three Little Kittens. I’m sure you may know it, but for younger audiences, it might be faded with time or they might not remember it. The gist is that three little kittens once had mittens, who then lost said mittens – which they needed to enjoy a warm pie. Since losing the mittens, they were unable to have any pie. Don’t worry though, if you’re wondering, the rhyme ends well and everyone gets a piece of the pie. However, did you know that even this rhyme has some truth in it?
Enter Teddy: the cute polydactyl feline who was born with additional toes that make his front paws look similar to human hands. The three-year-old shorthair Teddy is a polydactyl, which means he’s got some additional toes on his rear feet and two thumbs which make his front paws look like – you guessed it – mittens!
Teddy, who lives with his owner Selvynna Tang over in Vancouver, British Colombia, has his own Instagram page and his cute mittens gives tons of viewers something to coo over.
"*" indicates required fields
Selvynna said, “Teddy is my little buddy! We spend a lot of time together, from working and relaxing at home, to walks and road trips! Teddy is used to going on adventures, so we get to do a lot of things together,” she continued. “The extra toes do not affect him too much. If the claws grow too long, it makes a tapping sound when he walks on my wood floors, and I will have to trim it, like any other claw. If the claw is too long it can sometimes get stuck on his scratching post too,” she added. “On the grand scheme of things, Teddy is fairly low maintenance. He likes to sleep a lot, particularly during the work hours, which works out for me!”
Ordinary felines have a sum of 18 toes, with five toes on both their front paws, and four toes on both back paws. Polydactyl on the other hand (or paw if you’re a cat reading this article) can have up to nine digits on their back or front paws!
Both Paws, an American polydactyl feline, and Jake, a Canadian polydactyl feline, were deemed as having the most amount of toes on a feline by Guinness World Records, totaling 28!
“Cats are very adaptable,” said Selvynna, “and they don’t know they are any different because that’s all they know. Even cats who are blind or deaf or even missing a limb can live very full lives.”
Looks like there are two kittens who’ll probably get to eat their pie the first time around, you know, since they kept their mittens.