Why do cats have only four toes on their back paws? Does anyone have an idea? It was really a surprise for me to know about that and now I can hardly find a reason why it's so.
The question is not why they have only 4 toes on their hind feet, but why they have 5 on their front feet. 4 toes is extremely common in the animal kingdom. 5 toes is a phenomenon seen mostly in primates and humans. The extra toe helps walk erect, mainly improving balance. Having 5 toes on the front is much more uncommon. The reason is the extra digit vastly improves their climbing abilities, which is common to all members of the cat family, except for the cheetah. (Some cats such as lions generally choose not to climb, but are more than capable).
As to why members of the cat family don't just have five toes on all 4 feet, i'm not so sure. Since so many animals have 4 toes, it must provide some sort of advantage, perhaps with speed.
As to why members of the cat family don't just have five toes on all 4 feet, i'm not so sure. Since so many animals have 4 toes, it must provide some sort of advantage, perhaps with speed.
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My one cat has a 5th toe on each of his back feet. Usually this is very common in polydactyl cats, more commonly known as Hemmingway cats.