How many claws does a cat have on its hind and front paws? How much does it cost to declaw a cat?

Cute, gentle, fluffy bundles of happiness - beloved cats, regardless of gender and age, become favorites of the whole family. As soon as they gently and gracefully step over the threshold of the house, they feel like owners, in whose possession are all the interior items without exception. The latter, at times, suffer mercilessly from the sharp, honed claws of the family's darlings. Do you know how many of these claws your cat has?

Number of toes a cat has

Most representatives of the cat family have 18 toes on four paws. These soft but durable springy limbs can hardly be called “fingers”. Rather, these are “pads” with sharp claws playing important role For active image life of a cat: climbing trees, running, even catching prey. So, have you managed to find out how many fingers with claws your beloved member of the household has?

Classic 18 is a standard recognized and approved by international felinological organizations: WCF, TICA, and others. However, some cat breeds have up to 8 toes on each paw or several. This phenomenon is called polydactyly, due to gene mutations. In Europe and Russia, such cats are rare, but in the open spaces North America- this is a common occurrence.

And what about Ernest Hemingway's famous cats? The descendants of the writer's six-fingered favorite named Snowball are in particular demand: beliefs say that these beauties bring good luck and happiness to the home. Wide paws and sharp claws help polydactyl cats move more easily in the snow. Many believe that a developed finger makes it possible to grasp objects, and an increased number of claws makes it better to climb trees.

Since the beginning of the 19th century, polydactyl cats, or “Poly” as they are called, have enjoyed special honor and respect from sailors and traders crossing the oceans on ships. If one of the parents is a carrier of such a gene, then the probability of having “extra” fingers increases to 60%. Felinologists say that no matter how many fingers or claws your beloved cat has, the “abilities”, the tendency to scratch hard surfaces, are influenced by:

Raised by a cat mother. If the latter is accustomed to sharpening her claws on a scratching post (claw table), then she will teach her children to do the same.
A specially designated place (scratching post, piece of wood) for the cat.
Regular procedures for trimming nails and sharpening them with a nail file.

How many claws does a domestic cat have on its hind and front paws?

So, to answer correctly the question, how many claws does domestic cat, you need to count them. Most purebred representatives of the feline world are happy owners of a standard set:

5 claws on the front paws. If you looked at your cat's paw, you might have noticed that four main ones are needed when walking and are located on the pads of the toes. The fifth claw, like the finger, is rudimentary; it is needed to perform certain functions and is located at a distance from the rest.
There are 4 claws on the hind legs.

In polydactyl cats, the number of toes and claws may differ on each paw: from five to eight pads and claws. Often the difference between the front and rear paws is one claw. The record holder among “mitten cats” is a cat with 27 fingers. What distinguishes multi-toed cats is that the claws growing on additional phalanges grow faster than ordinary ones and require more careful attention. ongoing care.

What time can an animal have its claws removed?

Cat claws are an integral part of a natural lifestyle. They are needed for successful hunting, tree climbing, and self-defense. Unfortunately, some owners prefer cleanliness, order, intact furniture and wallpaper, so they turn to veterinarians with a request to remove claws from pet. This operation is called onychectomy. This one is very difficult surgical procedure involves amputation of the cat's phalanx of fingers with claws.

In Russia, nail removal is called “Soft Paws”. However, the attitude of both veterinarians and most cat lovers towards the operation is negative. Having deprived their cat of protection, people are sometimes unaware of the unpredictable consequences for their pets. In some EU countries, onychectomy is prohibited by law, and a veterinarian who decides to perform such a risky operation may lose his license. This procedure is permitted only if there are special indications:

If the cat's behavior is so aggressive that it causes injury to people or other pets.
If there physiological reasons related to your pet's health.

Complexity of the operation, severity possible consequences so large that only young and healthy cats. Even if it is fast and successful postoperative period, the future life of the fluffy will be disrupted. Removal of the phalanges of the fingers with claws leads to a reduction in the size of the paw and redistribution of the load on the musculoskeletal system. As a result, arthritis, joint displacement, dysfunction vestibular apparatus will haunt the cat for the rest of its life.

How is the cutting and removal procedure carried out?

Nail trimming is a simple procedure; you can do it yourself at home or by going to a veterinary clinic. For tools, you will need special tweezers, which are sold in pet stores. In the absence of the latter, ordinary nail clippers will do. Scissors are not recommended.

To quickly and accurately beautify your cat and put its claws in order, take your pet in your arms and sit in a chair.
If your cat is not used to this procedure, calm him down, pet him, and help him sit comfortably on his lap so that you have free access to his paws.
Some veterinarians recommend trimming the nails individually on the paws at intervals. The main thing is up to you: pay attention to the cat’s behavior and regulate the stages of the grooming procedure.
Take the paw in your hand, gently press on the middle on both sides: where the large pad is located.
Hidden in calm state claws will appear in front of you.
Carefully and quickly trim off the sharp ends without disturbing blood vessels, nerve endings. When performing a “cat manicure”, try not to touch them, because bleeding is possible, which a tampon with hydrogen peroxide will help to stop.
Do not forget to speak kindly to the animal during the grooming procedure, and reward it with a treat after successful completion.

The onychectomy procedure involves surgery veterinary surgeon. The cat is given anesthesia, and then during the entire period while the anesthesia is in effect, the surgeon carefully removes part of each phalanx of the finger with a claw. The incision site is then carefully sutured with self-absorbing catgut. Postoperative recovery takes 5 to 7 days. During this time, the cat is put on a special collar so that it cannot reach its own bandaged paws and damage the wounds.

Anti-scratch guards will be an effective, efficient and very stylish means of fighting claws. Soft plastic caps will reliably “hide” sharp nails, and medical glue will fix the cases in place. Pay attention to the manufacturer, beware of fakes - and your pet will look stylish and glamorous. Watch our video and you will learn how to properly care for your pet's paws: which scissors or tweezers to choose, how many claws need to be cut, and other features of cutting claws.

How much does it cost to have nails pulled or trimmed at the vet?

Veterinary clinics offer a varied range of services for your pets. The most popular and regular procedure is having the nails trimmed by a specialist and filing the nails on all paws. This procedure costs from 300 to 2550 rubles. when carried out in a clinic and 1000-3200 rubles. when calling a veterinarian at home. If you need to pull out a cat's claws, you will have to fork out:

Removing nails from the front paws only will cost 1,700-4,000 rubles. in a veterinary hospital setting. Four “soft paws” will cost 2500-5200 rubles.
For home visits, most pet salons veterinary clinics they charge from 300 to 1300 rubles. above the standard cost of the operation.

Mammals are characterized by five-fingered limbs. Cats should have the same amount. However, it is not. Most members of this family have slightly fewer of them. Felinology, the science of cats, states that there are 18 of them. This figure has been adopted as the international standard.

An interesting fact is that the number of fingers on the front and hind limbs cats are different. In addition, it is known that there are baleen representatives whose number of fingers significantly exceeds the norm.

Features of cat paws

Cats have 5 toes on their front limbs, but only 4 on their hind limbs.

Each finger ends in a keratinized, curved tip or claw. If necessary, the animal releases it outside or hides it inside, in a leather trench or pad, which allows the animal to move silently and springily.

Of the 5 toes on the front paws, 4 are located in one line. The fifth is slightly higher and slightly set aside. It also ends in a claw and has a pad. The difference in the location of the 5th finger is explained by its purpose. When walking, it does not touch a horizontal surface, but for vertical lifting it is necessary, providing a so-called grasping grip.

Honoring the cat Ancient Egypt - Interesting Facts

Polydactyl cats

There are cats that have not 18, but 20 or more fingers. Representatives of cats with 6 toes on their front legs and 5 on their hind legs are widely known.

An increased number of fingers on the limbs is called polydactyly.

If we take into account the fact of feline polydactyly, the question of the number of toes in cats will be ambiguous:

The Guinness Book of Records contains an entry about 2 cats with 28 toes.
In 1974, a case was recorded of the birth of a cat whose paws were counted with 32 toes.

The presence of “extra” fingers does not cause any inconvenience to the animals.

"Extra" fingers and their purpose

Extra fingers play a significant role in a cat's life. By increasing the surface of the paw, they allow their owners to:

run faster and jump higher;
move along a non-standard (narrow, loose or loose, vibrating) surface;
Climb vertically easily and be more tenacious.

Polydactyly is genetic mutation, capable of being inherited. In most cases, this mutation turned out to be “beneficial” for animals and was fixed by natural selection.

Over time, the paws big amount received fingers popular names: “snowshoes” and “mittens”. Once upon a time, about 40% of Maine Coon cats were born with multiple toes. There were 1 or 2 more toes on their front and hind paws. The “extra” fingers were located either along the same line or slightly higher. Maine Coons lived on farms in the Northeast of America. In winter, a lot of snow falls in these places. Animals with wide paws easily and quickly moved through the snowdrifts, for which their paws were aptly called “snowshoes” by the people. Additional fingers, located slightly higher than the rest, look like a human hand wearing a mitten. Hence their name - “mittens”. They help mustachioed predators climb up, move along narrow or round surface.

Good luck talismans

When sailors went on trips, they always took cats with them. On the ship they were entrusted with the protection of food supplies. The choice of the watchman was approached very responsibly. Preference was given to multi-fingered predators, which skillfully, without fear of pitching, balanced on the deck, climbed ropes and were excellent at catching mice and rats.

“The cat has four legs,” says a popular hit song. Anyone can make this kind of observation. But few people know how many fingers a cat has. But it would be worth taking a closer look at the perfect creature, which is the best sprinter, jumper and acrobat in nature.

Cat fingers with retractable claw system - complex mechanism, which has an important multifunctional load.

Hind legs and the fingers help the purr:

jump high;
run fast;
balance on an uneven surface;
climb tree trunks and walls and climb down, backing away;
maintain homeostasis, allowing the body to cool in hot weather with moisture released through sweat glands feet

It is difficult to overestimate the role of cats' fingers. The unique abilities of meowing pets depend on these flexible, plastic organs:

When moving, the cat never rests on its entire foot, but moves quietly on its toes. It gives the impression of walking on tiptoe. Soft, thick pads on the lower surface of the fingers help the nocturnal predator silently sneak up on prey during the hunt.
The ability to move from a slow approach to a lightning-fast jump is explained by the phenomenal structure of the digital flexor muscles and ligaments. Thanks to him, the cat has no equal in speed of reactions.
When falling from high altitude cats rarely have fractures: the clawed ends of the paws serve as a good shock absorber. They take on the body's load, distributing it to the balls of the feet.
A cat's soles, equipped with many sensitive receptors, serve as a natural oscilloscope, helping the predator examine the surface of the ground or floor, as well as pick up vibrations left by a scurrying mouse or a fluttering bird.
Glands that produce a secretion with a specific odor are concentrated on the finger pads. This is a means of communication with fellow tribesmen, allowing you to leave messages of various contents: an invitation to a date or a warning about occupied territory.

The cat is considered a mysterious creature. She walks on her own, graciously accepts affection and admiration for herself, considers her family to be her retinue, and her home to be her personal territory. The cat moves its fingers silently, softly and gracefully, as if gliding along the surface. Many people are confused by the question of how many fingers cats have.

cat paws

Mammals have five-fingered limbs. The cat is different from everyone else. She does not have 20 fingers, but only 18. This is a standard that is accepted by felinological organizations of the international level.

The number of toes is different on the front and hind paws. How many toes does a cat have on its hind paws? Just four. On the front, as expected, there are five.

They are armed with sharp claws and have soft pads. Four fingers are arranged in one row, and the fifth, with a claw and a small wrist pad, is rudimentary, slightly set aside and does not touch the surface of the ground when walking.

Cat paws spring when walking and allow their owners to catch prey, climb trees, run and jump from a place to a height higher than the cat's height.

Between the pads of the front paws, charming tufts of tactile hairs peek out, which are not lost during molting, are constantly worn off at the ends when walking, and then grow back.

The extreme phalanges of the fingers are covered with curved keratinized tips - claws. The cat smoothly releases them out or pulls them into the leather trench. The claws are very sensitive, as each of them contains nerve endings and blood vessels.

"Mittens" and "snowshoes"

A mutation at the genetic level leads to the formation of additional fingers - polydactyly, which was first mentioned in official documents in 1868.

This does not affect the health of cats and is manifested only in the requirements of modern exhibition standards - here it becomes important how many toes a cat has on its paws.

Additional fingers may be on different parts paws, and their functionality depends on this.

If the “extra” fingers are located with inside paws and are located at an angle in relation to the other fingers, like a person’s - these are “mittens” or “mittens”.

When the extra toes are in line, it's "snowshoeing." Owners of “snowshoes”, thanks to their special stability, do not fall into snowdrifts and calmly move through loose and deep snow.

If we talk about polydacts, then the answer to the question of how many toes a cat has on its paws may be quite unexpected. The Guinness Book of Records includes such outstanding representatives of the species with polydactyly as the owners of 28 fingers, Jake and Fred from the province of Ontario (Canada).

Talisman for good luck

Legends say that mustachioed owners large quantity fingers bring happiness to owners.

Their ancestors are considered to be Maine Coons, natives of New England, Wales and Canada. Thanks to their unique tenacious paws, they easily move through loose snow and are valued as excellent hunters. History has preserved legends that polydacts, at critical moments of hungry years, caught fish with their tenacious paws and then brought them to their owners.

For a long time they enjoyed special honor and respect among sailors who firmly believed that multi-toed cats bring unprecedented luck. The rapid spread of polydacts in America, Nova Scotia and Norway occurred, presumably, with the participation of merchant marine sailors, who carefully looked at how many fingers cats had, and selected multi-fingered ones for long journeys as travel companions. Thanks to the increased number of claws, they deftly climbed ropes, skillfully balanced on the deck during a storm, and were excellent at catching ship rats - protecting the ship's provisions from rodents.

Unique celebrity cats

Many polydactyl cats have become famous thanks to famous owners.

Theodore Roosevelt, President of the United States, owned a polydact with the bright nickname Sleepers, who felt comfortable in the White House and even became a member official receptions and press conferences.

Polydacts first became known thanks to Ernest Hemingway, who, regardless of how many fingers the cats had, kept two dozen representatives of the mustachioed family on his estate. The first of them was Snowball - a gift from sea captain Stanley Dexter Hemingway. Snowball is a typical representative of six-fingered animals.

In Florida, the writer’s museum still houses dozens of cats that receive necessary care, food, tender care in memory of the famous author of “A Farewell to Arms” and “The Old Man and the Sea.” Some of these cats are polydacts. Perhaps these are descendants of Snowball. This cat kingdom is considered a national treasure.

How to care for cat paws

Regardless of how many toes cats have, each pet needs paw care. First of all, we are talking about claws.

In conditions natural selection The cat family needs claws to catch prey, hold food, climb trees and defend themselves from enemies. During the work, the claws wear down and grow back.

At home care The functional use of the claws is sharply reduced, and natural grinding becomes difficult. This complicates the life of the animal, whose claws constantly get tangled in the owner’s clothes and get stuck in the carpet: they break off, and the cat suffers. In order to avoid this, you should trim your claws, following simple rules:

The procedure must be carried out carefully so as not to damage the living skin, nerve endings and capillaries that are located in the claw.
For cutting, you should use special scissors - pruning shears.
After cutting, it is advisable to treat the edge of the claw with a file to prevent delamination of the nail plate.
The nail trimming procedure should be carried out regularly.
Cat fingers require checking every 2 weeks.

Cat paws have always attracted people's attention due to the combination of softness and noiselessness of movement with sharp claws on the fingers. This found expression even in folk art. “Soft paws, scratchy paws” - this is how the children's riddle voices the specifics of the limbs of furry pets. But the very structure of the toes on the animal’s paws is also interesting, because cats differ in this regard from other mammals.

Cat's fingers: structural features and functions

Representatives of the cat family normally have 18 toes on their paws, while other mammals boast limbs with twenty toes. However, thanks to this, our furry pets gain that special grace that is inherent only to cats.

Cats are special animals down to their toes.

Since cats are predatory animals, their paws are equipped with “cold weapons.” Despite the menacing appearance of the claws, these keratinized processes are very sensitive due to the presence of capillaries and nerve endings inside. Therefore, pets need to trim their nails with great care so as not to cause pain or damage to their fingers.

There are sharp retractable claws not only on the visible part of the limbs, but also where not every fan of purrs would think to look - on the lateral toes of the front paws, which are distinguished by their high and far apart location. Zoologists explain this structure by the need to climb tree trunks and other vertical objects.

Anatomically, cat toes are a combination of metacarpal bones, tendons, proximal and middle phalanges, as well as the outer phalanx and claw.

The structure of cat fingers is characterized by mobility and flexibility of joints.

Each front paw has five toes, four of which are directly involved in the cat’s movement, and the fifth is a rudiment. The hind legs already include four toes on each limb, and instead of the fifth there is a small tubercle on the surface of the feet.

The peculiarity of cats is that it is the fingers that are given the main role in moving the animal, because purrs do not step on the entire paw, but walk “on tiptoes.” In order to reduce the load on the toes, cats' feet acquired hard elastic pads during evolution - a large one in the middle of each paw and small ones next to each toe.

A cat's toes are a tool for transmitting information and a shock absorber at the same time

Cats are distinguished by the fact that they can walk almost silently. The silent movement of furry purrs has already become the talk of the town and is considered possible due to their soft paws. However, it is the fingers that are decisive here. When the flexor phalanges contract and sharply straighten, cats make jumps over significant distances, regardless of the plane on which the animal is located at the moment of movement.

In addition, the toes on the paws of representatives of the cat family perform the following functions:

Maintaining balance and tactile sensitivity. In other words, it is the toes on the animal’s paws that help to detect even minor vibrations from the movement of mice and other rodents. Downside“medals” is susceptibility to damage to the skin of the finger pads, which can cause the pet’s health to deteriorate significantly.
Maintaining sustainability. Due to the fact that each toe on a cat's paw moves independently of the others, the purr can freely climb up and down trees. Moreover, the furry pet does such tricks even on vertical surfaces with an angle of 90 degrees.
The unique structure of the fingers allows cats to climb vertical surfaces
Cushioning during jumps from high heights. Elastic pads on the fingers muffle the impact of the ground and save animals from injury to their limbs.
Maintaining cleanliness. The desire of cats to wash themselves is evident already at 4 months of age, and the procedure itself has become the subject of folk superstitions. So, if a cat simply licks its paws, then this promises a change in the weather, and if it sits on the threshold at the same time, it means waiting for guests. In fact, the desire to keep themselves clean is due to the nature of cats, because these predators must remain invisible while hunting. In addition, due to frequent licking of the paws, the skin on the pads becomes moisturized, becoming soft and elastic.
Transferring information about the animal to other representatives of the cat fauna. After all, on a cat’s fingers and between them there are special glands that secrete a specific smell. When a cat scratches a fence post or a tree trunk with its claws, the pet thus communicates to other purrs about its claim to a certain territory and, as a result, to the females living there.
By scratching objects, cats mark their territory.

Abnormalities of finger development in cats

The appearance of mutating genes is characteristic of all multicellular organisms. And the cat family was no exception here.

Polydactyly - the appearance of extra toes on a cat's paws

Anomalies in the development of the feet characteristic of cats are:

oligodactyly - a mutating gene is represented by fused fingers, when the cat’s paw resembles a claw; such a deviation in the development of the pet can cause inconvenience to the animal and requires an attentive and caring attitude of the owners towards the cat;
Among cats there are toeless and one-toed individuals
radial hypoplasia - cats with this mutation were bred by Texas breeders, but further cultivation of the gene was prohibited due to the fact that it is impossible for animals to lean on their forelimbs, because these cats have no joints below the elbow, and the pet is forced to constantly sit on their hind legs.
Cats with radial hypoplasia have difficulty walking
polydactyly is the most common mutation of a natural nature, most often found among Maine Coons and pixie-bob cats; There are two types of polydactyly - extra fingers grow on the inside of the paw (such pets are called “cats in mittens”) or the mutation manifests itself in the form of additional fingers, the same in length as the others (here zoologists coined the name “snowshoe cats”).
Polydactyly does not cause any inconvenience for cats, and sometimes even helps them survive.

Due to the increased number of toes on their paws, such animals have since ancient times been considered to bring good luck, and sailors took polydacts on long voyages, for which individuals with a similar anomaly began to be called “ship cats.”

Polydactyly in itself may not pose a danger to the health and life of a mustachioed pet, however, such an anomaly is often accompanied by improperly growing claws or underdeveloped keratinized processes.

I’m completely, completely a non-specialist in this, but reading experts, I understand that their fears are caused by the fact that polydactylic genes (and there seem to be many of them) are often linked (God forgive me, where did I go) with life-threatening diseases. And Polic breeders conducted research, and it seems to have been proven that this particular gene in Policians is not dangerous and does not lead to any more problems.

Amadina
http://www.mainecoon-forum.ru/printthread.php?t=13964&pp=1000

If we are talking about fingerless or one-toed individuals, then anomalies are often accompanied by congenital diseases liver and urinary system.

In the case of radial hypoplasia, the animal’s life may not be in danger, and the mutation persists only on the front legs, without affecting the hind legs.

The hind limbs are usually unaffected, and even severely affected cats can move around despite their unusual appearance. Splinting affected limbs during kittenhood may improve them appearance and functionality, and seems sufficient effective treatment in two cases known to the author.
This triphalangeal gene thumb- radial hypoplasia and is the most likely explanation for the “Twisty Cats” described in the November 27, 1998 issue of the Wall Street Journal. The owners of these cats worked with polydactyls and unwisely used a cat with this type of gene, which subsequently produced kittens with radial hypoplasia along with polydactyly. Despite their unusual appearance, affected cats are otherwise healthy.

Solveig Pflueger, MD and all-breed TIKA expert
http://oldygoody.ru/ru/polydactylie/article2.html

If the owner discovers a kitten with mutations in the litter, it is better to immediately contact a veterinarian in order to find out the extent of the impact of the anomaly on the life of the animal. When a deviation in the development of the pet’s toes does not affect the functioning of other organs and does not create difficulties in the purr’s normal life, it is worth leaving the pet, closely monitoring and caring for it. If the deformities are severe and undermine the cat’s health, the mustachioed sufferer will have to be euthanized. Indeed, in addition to physical torment, the animal will experience difficulties in moving and performing natural needs until the end of its days.

As for the opportunity to participate in exhibitions, zoologists have different opinions. The presence of animals with hypoplasia and oligodactyly at such events remains an absolute ban. But individuals with polydactyl genes can become participants in the exhibition if they belong to the pixie-bob breed.

Video: cat with polydactyly

A cat's toes are a multifunctional part of the body, thanks to which animals can jump from great heights and climb absolutely vertical surfaces. And even if the pet has an abnormally large number of fingers, this does not in the least interfere with purring. Everyday life, and sometimes it even helps. At the same time, owners of animals with fewer toes than usual or with complete absence For these, you should seek help from a veterinarian: such a mutation may indicate disturbances in the functioning of internal organs.