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5th page of Maine Coon Cat Polys
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| Furkats Ernest P Hemmingway, brown mctabby & white poly Maine Coon Cat |
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It was also reported in the book called That Yankee Cat, The Maine Coon (Hornidge, 1981) that the number of claws in the paws was the most controversial of all issues in setting up a standard for the Maine Coon. According to Hornidge the traditional Maine Coon was frequently a polydactyl or a many-toed cat. She claimed that this was a genetic mutation, which occurred with great frequency in the upper northeast of the United States. In the greater Boston area, for example, almost twelve percent of the feline population show this trait, which to some people is endearing but to others is a deformity. Whatever the reason for its abundance in this geographic area, the poly or snowshoe-footed cat is part of the legend of the Maine Coon. She further stated that the polys were so dear to the hearts of the original group of enthusiasts who drew up the Maine Coon Breeders and Fanciers Association (MCBFA) standard, that rather than divide the ranks, a special classification with its own standard was set up for them. She also noted that this was the last variation on the standard to fall victim to the striving for a single standard to be adopted fancy wide. Breeders at the time were busy trying to get the Maine Coon recognized as a breed, without the added distractions of permitting polys.
There is a pedigreed breed of dogs called the Lunehund that is a polydactyl. This breed is a spitz type dog that has been known from the 15th century. The fisherman on the coast of Norway used the dogs to catch puffins. These penguin sized birds nest in tunnel in the rocky cliffs. The 6 toed dogs were able to climb the rocky cliffs and were more adapt at digging in the tunnels.
continue on 6th page of Maine Coon Cat Polys
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