What to Know
- Helen Woodward Animal Center in Rancho Santa Fe
- Seven polydactyl kittens will be available for adoption on Nov. 18 beginning at 10 a.m.
- The "rare" kittens have extra digits on some or all of their paws
Both kittens and mittens are cute hallmarks of some of our favorite childhood stories, but the heart-bright opportunity to acquaint ourselves with a few real-life "Kittens in Mittens" doesn't prance into our cat-obsessed worlds all too often.
That will change on Saturday, Nov. 18 at the Helen Woodward Animal Center when seven polydactyl kittens — felines that have extra digits on some or all of their paws — will be available for adoption.
"A variety of lore surrounds polydactyls but there seems to be general agreement that the spread of the breed was a result of the felines traveling on ships between Boston, Massachusetts and Great Britain," revealed the center.
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"Sailors were known to value polydactyl cats, especially for their climbing and hunting abilities, which aided in controlling shipboard rodents, and they even thought the cats brought good luck at sea."
The adoption begins at 10 in the morning on Nov. 18 and early arrival is recommended, as there is a lot of interest in these snuggly sweeties.
The tiny cats arrived at Helen Woodward via a trio of Southern California transports, shared the Rancho Santa Fe-based animal center. Bailey, Corn, Espresso, Etta, Kahlua, Mocha, and Pepper hail from three separate litters, but they're now a gorgeous group of seven, at least until they begin their joy-filled journeys to their forever homes.
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It's "toe"-tally exciting news for animal lovers who adore a pretty toe bean or two... or six.
"It's been a challenging year for shelters across the country," said Adoption Services Director Kendall Schulz.
"Adoptions are down and economic costs are up which can dampen the mood but that's the beauty of working with animals."
"Every day we see things that delight and surprise us. For any cat-lover who has ever swooned over a kitten toe bean… I can tell you there was far more than the normal swoon-worthy material on this one transport."
This isn't the first polydactyl adoption at the busiest center, which is behind the Doggie Gras in March and the popular PAWmicon parade in July.
Five multi-bean'd felines went up for adoption in the fall of 2020, while other polydactyl animals have spent time at the center.
