A black kitten with 10 extra toes is baffling the internet after going viral on TikTok.
Two-month-old Mazzy lives in Montreal, Canada, and was adopted by new owner Pixie last week. Pixie shares her life on TikTok under the handle @pixie_bl00d, and since Mazzy came into her new life, the kitten has captured some serious attention online for her unusual paws.
Mazzy is a polydactyl cat, meaning she has a genetic condition that results in the development of more toes than usual on her paws.
Most cats have five toes on their front paws and four on their back paws, but polydactyl cats have several extra toes on one or more of their paws.
Instead of the usual 18 toes, Mazzy has 28 in total, and in a new video on her TikTok Pixie shared a close-up.
“I wanted to share this kitten online originally because i was seeking help and advice introducing her to my older cat Trip and share my process of introducing two cats together because I know it can be difficult at times,” Pixie told Newsweek.
“I’m a huge animal lover and activist and want to get people excited about treating animals with love and care,” she explained. “I also want to encourage people to take a chance and adopt different or unique animals whether it be an animal with disabilities, anomalies or a senior cat with a strange personality.”
The term “polydactyl” comes from the Greek words “poly,” meaning many, and “daktylos,” meaning digits or fingers.
Arguably the most famous polydactyl cats are the Hemingway cats, a group of felines that live at the Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum in Key West, Florida. The cats that live there are descendants of a polydactyl cat given to Hemingway by a ship’s captain.
The polydactyl cat was particularly popular in the 19th and 20th centuries on board ships.
Bred to keep rodent populations under control on ships, the polydactyl trait made them more effective at catching rodents due to their extra toes, which provided better dexterity for hunting.
Some sailors also believed that the polydactyl cats brought good luck to a ship, contributing further to their popularity on vessels.
Her first video of Mazzy gained over 2 million views, as Pixie shared her extra toes, and in a follow-up the kitten’s owner gave viewers a close-up.
In the comments on TikTok, people shared their reactions.
“More toe beans = more traction for faster zoomies,” said Alex in the comments.
Ali the loaf wrote: “I used to have a cat with this and I called him thumbs.”
“Over the years I’ve had two cats with extra toes, but not as many as this adorable little girl!!” commented @hillycat53.
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The post Jaws Drop Over Cat’s ‘Unique’ Genetic Condition Resulting in 28 Toes appeared first on Newsweek.
