I’m looking for a cat named “Bob Barker”.

in my cat's toes, no one thinks this is funny but me, Random Crap

So Hailey wanted a dog for Christmas but we’re not responsible enough for one so instead we started looking at hedgehogs because THEY’RE ADORABLE but I went on twitter and people were like “hedgehogs will eat your eyelids while you sleep and if you squeeze them their intestines will fall out” so instead we decided to get a kitten.  So we mapped out the shelters and pet shops and on the way we had this conversation:

Victor:  We should get a boy cat and name him ‘Bob Barker’.  That’s a great cat name.

me:  Let’s just find a cat already named Bob Barker.  And when we go to the pet shops we’ll just be like “Bob Barker?  BOB BARKER!”  And if Bob Barker doesn’t show up we’ll walk out.

Victor:  We should do that at the pound.  “Excuse me, ma’am.  We’re looking for a cat named Bob Barker”.

me:  And they’ll be like “Oh, you lost your cat named Bob Barker?” and we’ll be all “No.  We’re looking to adopt a cat named Bob Barker.”

Victor: “Are you kidding me?  THIS IS THE NINTH PLACE WE’VE GONE THAT HASN’T HAD ANY CATS NAMED BOB BARKER.”

me:  “We’re not picky.  It could be a variation of Bob.  Bobbie.  Robert.  Bobben. Even Roberto would be fine.  We can teach him English.”

Victor:  “Exactly.  We’re being flexible.”

me:  “Right? MEET. US. HALFWAY.  Except that we’re not actually flexible on the “Barker” part.  His last name has to be ‘Barker’.  No variations.”

Victor: Yeah, that’s a deal-breaker.

Then we looked at lots of cats but on each one I was like “Well, he’s no Bob Barker” and finally we got to the last place and when we walked past the glass this kitten jumped out like “OH MY GOD I’VE BEEN WAITING FOR YOU GUYS ALL DAY” and I was all “Bob Barker!”

Introducing Bob Barker:

This kitten has a flat.

And I was all “THIS IS BOB BARKER” and Victor looked at me grumpily because he really wanted a fancier cat and the clerk was all “He’s the last one left because he’s polydactyl” and I was like “He’s half pterodactyl?” and she explained that polydactyl means that he has a genetic mutation that gave him four extra toes. And Victor was like “You want the mutant cat.  Of course you do.” and I was like “This cat has four bonus toes THAT WE DON’T EVEN HAVE TO PAY FOR.  THIS CAT IS PRACTICALLY PAYING US TO TAKE HIM.” And then Victor was like “He has four extra claws.  That’s like the worst mutation ever.  The only way this cat could be worse is if it had two buttholes” and then I held Bob Barker up I was all “THIS CAT GREW OPPOSABLE THUMBS.  HE COULD DRIVE US HOME RIGHT NOW.”   And then Victor  just sighed and started filling out the adoption paperwork.

PS.  Bob Barker doesn’t really look like a “Bob Barker” so we’re changing his name.  I suggested “Paulie Six-Toes” because I like to imagine our cat could be in the mafia but right now he’s answering to Anderson Cooper, which was just a joke but whenever you say “Anderson Cooper” he runs over like “Jesus, What? Why do you keep calling me?”  Or maybe he just wants to watch Anderson Cooper.  Hard to tell with cats.

UPDATED:  Ferris Mewler.  Our cat’s name is now Ferris Mewler.  Best cat name ever.

340 thoughts on “I’m looking for a cat named “Bob Barker”.”

Read comments below or add one.

  5. Fucking. Hysterical.

    No really. I’m laughing out loud at my desk in front of my boss with coffee coming out my nose hysterical.

    I think I’m getting fired now actually. But that’s okay. It was so worth it.

  7. You should name him Pterodactyl. Imagine how much fun you could have with pterodactyl Halloween costumes. I mean, uh, not that, because dressing up cats is obviously not something normal people do. And they definitely don’t dress one cat up as Santa and one as Rudolf and then use pictures of them for their holiday card.

    Obviously.

  8. Now you just have to wait for it to grow up and mutate into some kind of kitty-superhero. Or a Christmas supervillian. Six-y Claws.

  9. Is it just me or does Bob Barker sound like a dog name? I like Anderson Cooper for a cat. You can shorten it to Coop. Just imagine yelling “heere, kitty, kitty, coop-coop-coop.”

  10. He totally looks like a Bob Barker. I can imagine him holding a really skinny microphone in between his extra toes right now.

  12. okay, he’s super cute. and i think bob barker OR anderson cooper would be an excellent name.
    we are not allowed to have a cat because my husband (roberto, as it were) is allergic. what an asshole.

  13. We have a fish named Samuel Johnson, named by my (then) five-year-old. We’re hoping he writes a fish dictionary. But he’s been with us 6 months, and nothing yet. Come on, Samuel Johnson, start earning your keep already!

  14. For an extra $20 you probably could have gotten the real Bob Barker. He’s not dead yet, is he? The only reason I ask is because it would probably be more money for the real deal if digging is required.

  15. Ok, now I want to rush right over to the pound and get another kitten. Except it’s taken 11 years for my husband to accept the two I have… and the cats STILL don’t like one another.

    Anderson Cooper is ADORABLE.

  16. You have an adorable kitten. My cat is not mutated but is still extremely vicious. She might be like that ’cause she’s old though. Damn cats.
    I knew a human with 6 toes once. She did not have claws to accompany the extra toes. Mildly disappointing, now I think about it.

  17. LOVE IT!!!! Or you could have a husband who gives your cat Sammy the middle name ‘Duane’….And Sammy Duane is later joined by a female stray who is subsequently named ‘Delilah Duane’… It’s a running tradition now, apparently. Yes, my husband is Southern. Enjoy your new kitty 😀

  19. No lie… I had a cat named Bob Barker when I was a kid. The cat had no tail, just a short nub where a tail should be. Unfortunately we had to change the cat’s name when she gave birth. Bobette lived a wild and slutty life in the neighborhood, on a mission to repopulate the earth with tail-less cats. Mom and Dad weren’t believers in veterinary care, it seems.

  20. Bwahaha! Literally laughed out loud in the oil change waiting room. Then had to explain to a room full of adults that I was laughing at a blog. And some is all like “you should read it to us”. One lady looked annoyed and went out to smoke, but I read this post to five adults. We all giggled like 12 year olds when I said “two battles”. Best. Oil change. EVER.

  21. Adorable kitty! Is it weird that my first thought was, OMG, he looks like Hailey? I totally mean that in the best way possible for both of the adorable cuties in your life. I think it’s the cute, interested look off to the side. OK… I’m gonna stop, but very cute kitty!!

  23. Careful, he’s studying ways to kill you with the extra toes and the UBER cuteness! You’ve been fore-warned!!! (get it, cuz of the extra toesies? kthanxlater)

  24. We got a set of orange kittens (brothers) that we adopted, who we named Bert and Ernie, in honor of the Sesame Street characters, and WE DON’T EVEN HAVE ANY KIDS. We rescued one who we named Wendy, but who became Da Poofa within a week or so, and we rescued one other female, who was looking for love in all the wrong places, so we named her Nookie. That makes four cats. No extra toes on any of ’em though. Plus none of them want to learn how to drive, so they can take themselves to Pet Smart when they want a new toy.

  29. I am in love with Bob Barker Anderson Cooper Paulie Six Toes. I don’t know if his extra toes are in the front or back, but I like to think they are in the front and that his teeny paws look a little like elephant feet.

    I just named my cat Marge, but he’s a boy, so at least it’s a little interesting.

  30. While, undoubtedly, America loves Bob Barker more than Anderson Cooper, this kitty *does* fit Mr. Cooper’s color scheme.

    And with the extra thumbs, he is somethingpercent more capable of running in and saving a Haitian child than his less-fortunate kitty counterparts. Clearly, he is superior. Good pick!

  31. I think this is the first time that Victor’s actually contributed something meaningful to your conversations. And by “contributed”, I mean that he didn’t totally put a damper on your plans.

    Also: Half-pterodactyl cat is the best cat. GO BOB BARKER!

  32. He’s a Hemingway cat! You should name him Ernie! But I’m pretty sure that’s probably been done before…

  34. And when I say “stuffed,” I don’t mean “stuffed and mounted,” like I’m naming animals that are dead and have been fixed up by taxidermists. I mean stuffed animals, like prizes from carnivals and crane games and shit. Just wanted to clear up any confusion.

    (Actually, both situations are a little weird.)

  35. Thank you so much for making me nearly pass out laughing. I don’t know if it was what you wrote or the fact that I was reading it out loud for my husband, but I could NOT stop laughing.

  36. I still regret the day that I found a lobster claw kitten at the shelter and took too long to take him. Someone else out there has the lobster claw awesomeness, and I hope they appreciate him – and all 4 of his front toes – as much as I would have.

    Also, I highly recommend blinging out your kitten’s myriad of claws – my cat has the silver ones, and I think they would set off Anderson Cooper’s hair there quite nicely. https://www.softpaws.com/colorspopup.html

  37. Regarding earlier comment, currently awaiting moderation: Ahhh! “Two buttholes!” “BUTTHOLES!” Not “battles”. Also, “someone”, not “some”! Damnyouautocorrect.com+ premature submit button press! Why do I try to blog comment by cell?

  38. Is he gay and keeping his fur extra tidy? If so, then he’s definitely Anderson Cooper. Whom I love by the way. And he’s on my Five Freebie List. The man. Not your cat. That’s gross. And illegal, in most states, anyway.

  40. Ernest Hemingway had polydactyl cats out the ying yang. The Ernest test AKA feline badass.

  42. I used to have a Hemingway cat! He actually looked a lot like Bob Barker/Anderson Cooper. I named him Titan as a joke because he was a tiny little kitten with gargantuan mitts. Little did I know that he was going to grow into both his name and his feet. That cat was enormous. (And extremely affectionate. I can’t tell you how many times I woke up to an excited 25 pound cat landing on my head). Anyway, adorable kitten!

  43. Whoa. I just got light headed from the cuteness. Which is a reaction similar to the one many people have upon meeting the human Anderson Cooper.

  44. Whoa. I just got light headed from the cuteness. Which is a reaction similar to the one many people have upon meeting the human Anderson Cooper.

  46. I hate cats, but that kitten is freaking adorable.

    Misty. No, not THAT Misty. There is actually more than one of us, believe it or not.

  48. I am in love with that kitten and all 24 of his toes. Normally, weird mutations gives me the heebies, but this mutation totally ups the adorable factor.

    And I like Paulie Six-Toes. It’s like he’s in the Apache Mafia.

  49. My polydactyl’s always getting his extra appendages stuck. It’s like he’s maybe missing a couple of grams in the motor skills department so he makes up for it with extra toes. I’m always extracting him from things: blankets, curtains, the birdcage, my legs. On the flip side, he looks devilishly handsome decked out in his kitten mittens. So there’s that.

  50. He’s so adorable I just want to nibble on his sweet little extra toes.

    And what if you just shortened it to Bark? Because I always wanted a cat named Bark, and if it’s not going to happen to me, it could at least happen for you. Look at me, being all generous and giving you my baby name and everything. I’m basically a saint.

  51. Okay, before I dismissed it when Spencer said he thought we might be the same person, and then I got to the end of this post and I kind of stopped breathing. Because when my old roommate and I were looking to adopt a polydactyl kitten we wanted to name him Eddie Four Thumbs, you know, as his mafia name. I am now really disturbed that one of us isn’t real, it’s like fight club but without all of the punching.

    Polydactyl kitties are the best, he shouldn’t have been the one left, he should have been the first one snatched up! The look like they’re wearing mittens!

  52. I have an idea for an item in your shop – all you need is a stamp pad and little Anderson Cooper – I would pay good money for an image that had his pawprint! I love James Garfield but I think I love AC a little bit more…

  53. Your mutant half-pterodactyl with opposable thumbs looks cute right now, but wait till he starts leaving presents at your bedroom door. Mice, birds, chupacabras, giant squid. Where will it all end, hmmm?

    Rodan, obv.

  54. Bob Barker is so much cuter than some intestine-spilling hedgehog. Now I wanna see if that really happens, but I’m too chicken to touch or squeeze a hedgehog. I don’t know about the Anderson Cooper moniker, that dude is totally weird.

  57. Holy cow! Lisa’s polydactyl cat “Gob” (comment #39) has THUMBS! Run for the hills!

    I’m shocked that more people haven’t praised you for getting a shelter cat and not going to some godforsaken puppykittyshop in a mall.

    So, THANK YOU! for adopting a shelter kittie. And he is adorable. And you are hysterical. And I love you.

    That’s it.

  58. Also, whoever suggested they want a cat named Rachel Maddow… I am seriously in love, with Rachel not you, but thanks for reminding me.

  64. He’s fucking precious. If only we were all lucky enough to be so adorable and have 4 extra somethings.

  65. I’m confused. Does he have four extra toes on one paw? One extra toe on each paw? Two extra toes on two paws? Please count Anderson Cooper’s toes and let me know.

    It was a lot of fun to say “please count Anderson Cooper’s toes”. That should probably just be his name for real.

  66. I can’t get past those adorable extra-digit mitts! Best. Kitten. Ever. Hailey will be thrilled (my daughter got her first kitten when she was 6 too, and she named her Jenny…coincidence? I think not)

  67. er. so im confused.. did you get her from a store or the pound.

    bc honestly shocked you would consider naming a cat Bob Barker and not adopting.
    that would be like naming your cat Bob Barker and sending it next door to get knocked up.
    hmmm

  68. You are awesome. And so is Anderson Cooper. If I wasn’t looking forward to reading your blog everyday I probably wouldn’t show up for work in the mornings…

  70. wait but you filled out adoption paper work, so instead just delete the last comment and revel in being attacked by Bob Barker (or Anderson Cooper though I think you should go with BB) at 3 in the morning bc you are a crazy lady who got a baby cat haha, prepare for kitten attacks 🙂

  71. My husband wants to know if you guys would like to help us come up with a boy’s name for the baby due in February. I guess now Bob Barker is available…

  78. Sorry to one-up you and be all obnoxious but I do want to tell you that I have a cat with two extra toes on each foot. Your little one looks like a Maine Coon cross (he has an “M” above his eyes). They’re great and they get ginormous. PS Google “Hemingway Cats”. I swear I am not a crazy cat lady…all of the time.

  80. He should so be named Ernest Hemingway, because Hemingway’s estate in Florida was (and still is) overrun by many six-toed cats. Seriously.

  81. Okay, I posted this to my FB profile and somebody thought I wrote it and complimented me on how funny I am. Thanks Bloggess! Now I rule on FB.

  82. I’m trying to convince my husband to let me name our kitten Charles Grodin because his portrayal of Uncle Martin in Clifford CHANGED MY LIFE.

  84. We’ve got a fish named “Bob”, because that’s what he does. We’ve got dozens of fish, but Bob’s the only one that does anything. Our stick-fish just died. His name was, uh, Stick-fish. I’m not good with pets.

  86. I’m glad you didn’t go with Bob Barker for the name. Now you won’t have to adopt a harem of slutty tabby vixen kitties he can sexually harass.

  88. on the one hand your cat is a polydactl which makes him a freak (a very cute one.) on the other hand, you can teach him to flush the toilet because he has thumbs…..right? so it sounds like a win/win situation to me.

  89. Hysterical!
    We had a cat named Bob.
    Bob was a country road drop off that found my front porch. Before he came along, Mike said it sounded more like I was starting a sewing kit. Patch, Stitch, and Bob….

  91. Dude, the polydactyl thing is awesome. I had two of the most kickass cats who were polydactyl (except I didn’t know that’s what you called it; I thought they were Hemingway cats, which I assumed also meant they had a penchant for Mojitos). Also, if you want a free nose piercing, that mutation comes in handy. True story: something scared the shit out of one of my polydactyl cats while I was holding him one time, and his ginormous boxing glove of a paw shot up, and his opposable thumb got caught in the side of my nose. Blood everywhere, but totally accurate piercing if I had any inclination to stick a ring in it.

  92. Very awesome! My polydactily kitty has SIX extra toes, though, and like two half-formed extra paw pads. SUPER MUTANT. He’s orange and white, so my husband named him Creamsicle, but then we gave him the middle name SKULL CRUSHER ’cause, dude? Those GIANT MITTS FOR PAWS.

    (Unfortunately, he did have to have just his 6 “thumbs” declawed when he was a little older than 1 year. Those extra claws can be prone to growing in toward the pawpads so you do have to be diligent with them, and if they aren’t going to cooperate, the vet can do a partial declaw to prevent them from growing into his poor little foot.)

  94. Wow, a half-pterodactyl cat would be AWESOME! I think you should call him “Taylor Hanson”… he looks very Mmmbop-y.

  97. My sister has a polydactyl cat. We can’t play with him with those fuzzy-toy-on-a-string toy thingies because opposable thumbs means he loses a lot less.

    Ever seen a cat make a disdainful grabbing motion? You will. Also if he’s like Sneaky (My sister’s cat) he may open doors and strangle any men taking up HIS spot on the bed.

    Sorry, Victor.

  99. If he likes to drive you can name him Toonces. But we know how that always ends up…How about Victoria Jackson?

    NO–(GASP)

    VICTORIA PRINCIPAL

  100. We have a dog named Bob, but her last name isn’t Barker, because that’s just too obvious. Whenever I tell people her name they’re all “…but it’s a girl. You do know that, right?” And I’m all “of course, that’s why I said HER name is Bob.” Then when I tell them the other dog’s name is Simba, and our cat is named Lassie, they just shake their heads and back away. Slowly, while they watch me for any sudden moves.

  101. Amy Anderson (@theamyanderson) has a dog named Bob Barker, but I am pretty sure he wasn’t adopted with that name. He’s a chihuahua, which is about the same size as a kitten…so really you could switch them and Hailey would never know – except the extra claw would be the give away. Darn! It would have been the perfect switcheroo.

  102. I wonder if Bob Baker, the cat, will remind you to always have your pets spayed or neutered like the real Bob Barker did. Because, I’m thinking if I was a cat that would be one “little” surgery I’d like to avoid. BTW, my new kitten is named Katniss after a character in a book I was reading when we got her. I have a bad habit of naming my pets and my kids after characters in books. Luckily all my kids were born before the Twilight Saga started.

  103. My cat, Lt. Fuzz, has the same mutation. She’s so fucking good at using her thumb-feet that the government gave her a rank.

  104. One of our cats is polydactyl. She once tried to eat spaghetti with a fork and is pretty good at turning doorknobs.

  105. Nothing witty to say here, I just can’t stop staring at the cuteness that is that kitten! I hope you enjoy getting to know him and that this is the first of many photos we get to see 🙂

  110. AW what a cutie!!! We have a cat named Crookshanks we adopted over a year ago!

    BTW, its pricey but I highly recommend the Liter Robot. I mean whats cooler than the Death Star scooping cat crap? 😉 (seriously, its awesome, way better than those shitty rake types)

  111. My husband named our cat Richard Simmons, which is why he’s the best husband ever. Richard’s a great cat, and wants to be our dog, Steve’s, boyfriend. Steve’s not having it. Party pooper.

  112. Not sure what I love more…those wide, little snowshoe paws or how tiny Anderson Cooper looks next to Victor’s boot.

    Anyhow, go you! Another errant furbaby has a home. *grin*

  113. And if that’s your clog-type shoe thingee, I apologize now. It’s much romantic and dramatic if that’s Victor’s boot though. Just sayin’.

  114. And this is why I never comment unless mass amounts of Tecate are involved. I sound like a total tool. My humblest apologies.

  115. I can’t believe I’m the first person to say this…but shouldn’t it be Anderson Coopurr?

  118. That is a beautiful cat. We just took in a Yorkshire terrier, and I can’t remember his name. He looks like one of the Doobie Brothers, but I’m too young to know which one. Don’t laugh.

  120. Anderson-Cooper-Bob-Barker is adorable and perfect in his mutatedness. Who knows, maybe his extra toes will be the thing that turns the tide in the zombie apocalypse.

    And he looks like he’s already on the lookout for giant squid and zombies. Good pick, a trusty guard kitten who will fearlessly throw himself at danger to protect you and yours.

  121. First, he is the size of a shoe. Second, you live in Texas. “Boots” is the obvious name.

  122. I’m not even going to read the other comments. First of all, hedgehogs are adorable! Secondly, Twitter is full of shit. You should know not to trust it. I’m pretty sure my hedgehog is going to open a Twitter account just so he can dispel these negative rumors.

  124. I just adopted a 5 year old tabby that limps around like a walrus. Her name is Tinky Two Toes on account of her missing 2 toes off her back flipper.

    There’s pictures of my ferret kitty on my website. but you’d have to wade through some bizarre porn to get to them, so I can’t say I recommend it!

  126. NAWWWW! She looks like the kitten we just got!

    Also I completely suggest you name him Anne Boleyn. Why? Coz she had 6 fingers on her right hand.
    And he looks man enough to have a woman’s name.

  128. Could you name him Samuel L. Jackson? He just looks like he either really wants some Star Wars shit to go down, or he is tired of these motherfucking snakes on this motherfucking plane. Adorable!!

  129. My dog, Cooper, is named after Anderson Cooper! Black lab, adopted him from the pound 10 years ago as a stray. Best dog ever. Can’t go wrong with Anderson Cooper and the pound.

  130. I have a friend who has three cats with variations on polydactl…ism?? Anyway… Those cats are very clever with their paws, just like you told Victor. Maybe he’ll become a great soccer player and you csnchange his name to Beckham 😉

  131. Polydactyl cats might be the result of cross-breeding with pterodactyls. After all, Maine Coon cats are the result of cross-breeding with raccoons. You will know how much pterodactyl is in your cat if or when it tries to fly. I just hope you are not required to teach him how to take to the air. I know I would be scared to try, but then I am afraid of heights.

  132. I’m in love.
    What you really need is my 2 year old to name your cat. Our newest cat is named Tulo, but my 2 year old (who was 20 months when we got him) has called him “Eto” since the day we got him, never mind the fact that she can say “two” and “low”. I’m sure she’d come up with a wonderful variation of Bob Barker, Anderson Cooper, Nancy Pelosi, John Gotti or whatever it is you are looking for.

  133. I hate to break this to you, jenny, but that ‘kitten’ is far too tiny to be a real cat. If that’s a shoe it’s next to, then I think you’ve been infiltrated by the kitty-mouse hybrid those rodents have been working on for years. He’s going to use all those extra fingers to open your windows and refrigerator so his people can feast on your food. And then in the morning when you are all looking for breakfast, he’ll put on the cute face, and be all, What? Where are the Pop-Tarts? And the bread, and cereal, and jelly, and everything you bought at the store yesterday? I don’t know, I’m just a teeny kitty (or VERY LARGE MOUSE) with 24 fingers.
    Good luck…

  134. With all those toes and claws Paulie Six-Toes will provide you with all the dead or severely maimed hedgehogs you might want. Or not want. Paulie was born to be a hunter.

  135. i think the important question here is why did kitty grow 6 toes? i mean, humans grow hairy palms for obvious reasons, but a cat already technically has hairy palms, so what’s left to grow? Maybe you should name him Peewee Herman.

  136. I know a kitten with colouring that makes it look like Frankenstein’s cat (as in the cat version of the monster, not Frankenstein’s cat the tv show character). She and Macavity (or some other appropriate character from Cats) should go on a playdate some time when I find an international feline smuggler.

  137. Congrats on your new cat! I was cracking up at your “Roberto” comment, because my son (12) just wrote a story for his class titled “Boberto the Lizard”. First sentence is: ” Hello my name is Bob the lizard, you can call me Boberto for short.” It’s awesome – just like your cat 🙂

  138. Another vote for Pterodactyl here. Awesome name for the mutant cat. Or wolverine 🙂
    I don’t think I’ve ever read your blog and not had a laugh. Topstuff!

  139. I love you Jenny. And I love Anderson Cooper.

    Also, did you know Hemingway’s place in Florida has TONS of polydactyl kitties running around because he had some during his life and then they just sort of bred until they took over? Yeah. True story. I think.

    It would be a much better story if his place was overrun with pterodactyls though.

  140. I have three female kittens on my porch that will be whoever you want them to be if you just take them inside where it’s not cold : (

  141. You should definitely keep his name as Anderson cooper, the fact that he responds to it either means that he is a huge AC fan or that he is having an identity crisis and he thinks that he IS AC. OR! Maybe! AC is projecting through your cat! Too bad he’s not really part pterodactyl, though… that would be bad ass, having AC projecting through your cat AND it being partially pterodactyl!

  142. i can see that a dog might be called bob barker, if it well, bobbed and barked, but a cat?

    i used to walk a dalmation called kinky power. you had to be careful how you called her in the park…

  143. I work at an animal shelter in MA and I want to be responsive to adopters’ wishes, so I will make sure we have a Bob Barker available for adoption asap.

  144. Damn, that kitten is cuter than a whole bucket full of babies! But you know with those extra toes, it’s going to be really hard to find shoes that fit him when he get bigger.

  145. Awww so cute!
    I really like Anderson Cooper. It took me about a week to name my dog…things got insane. Puffin, Mrs. Euphegenia Doubtfire, Beelzepug, etc. Can’t wait to hear what you name your new baby

  147. I love polydactyl cats!! I’m not bothering to read through all your comments, so if I’m repeating someone else… then deal with it. Ernest Hemingway was a big fan of polydactyl cats.

    We have a polydactyl cat at my work named Tootles… not sure what that has to do with her toes, but it fits her. We used to have one named Amelie Lottatoes. My vote for your cat is: Andrew Fingers McGee

  148. I like Albus Sixtoes myself.. but well, kitty’s make me snotty. I’m just super stoked that you have a half cat half Pterodactyl!! I would love to see up close pics of those kitty toes! 🙂

  149. Maybe he will look like Bob Barker when he is all grown up? Unlike those big cats with too cute names.

  151. Oh, he’s just too cute. My cousin’s cat had extra toes because she was incredibly inbred, and it looked funny on her skinny little twig legs. Then she had one kitten with her brother/daddy/something and that kitten had a set of extra toes on each paw…and then MORE extra toes on each paw. It was like watching a cat run on saucer plates. Her feet were huge.

  152. Paulie Six-Toes is a great name.

    I once had a job interview in which one of the interviewers mentioned that he had a cat named Polly (I don’t remember how that came up). At that point, I imagined that the rest of the dialogue would go like this:

    Interviewer #1: … and I have a cat named Polly.
    Me: Does she have extra toes?
    Interviewer #2: WTF?
    Me: He could have named her Polly because she’s polydactyl.
    Interviewer #1: Your amazing powers of deductive reasoning have impressed me. You’re hired, at double the salary we were originally going to offer.

    But I was afraid they’d think I was crazy if it turned out I was wrong, so I didn’t say anything.

  154. Awwww!!! He is absolutely adorable! Congratulations on becoming the proud parents to a new kitty. 🙂 I think you should call him Cooper.

  156. Oh he’s so sweet. His lil feet look like little sucker feet. Maybe he can climb up walls? You should check. A-mazing.

  157. I totally knew a dog named Bob Barker. He was a nasty little dude, growling and snappy, but for some reason his name fit him (I don’t think the human Bob Barker was growly and nasty, but maybe).

  159. Mrs. P stole my ‘at least the price was right’ comment so now I’m thinking you should name the cat “Mrs. P” even though it’s a guy because cats break you down into tiny bits and crush your will and steal your soul.

    Way to fuck with my morning, Mrs. P.

  160. Ummm… No take backs, k?
    The cat has to be Bob Barker.
    With all you went through at the pound and how super cool the name is, you just have to.
    Sheesh, take one for the team!

  161. I still think you should call him Blender. He’s BOUND to prove the name right.

    He looks too cute not to be vicious!

  162. Congratulations. He’s adorable.
    One of my two cats died suddenly, traumatically, and mysteriously on Friday night (I wish this were a joke). The other has literally never been alone (okay, once, for eight hours, while the other was being spayed), so once he gets a clean bill of health, and I get over the one who died, my girlfriend and I are going to go out an adopt a new one (lest the surviving cat tear up the apartment out of boredom). I doubt our new kitten will have six toes though. That’s like finding a four leaf clover, except destructive.

  163. You would never suspect a kitten as cute as that to be capable of world domination would you? Just a thought…

  164. Others have beaten me to it, but I was thinking that Hemmingway would be a great name (for obvious reasons). Also, we have a cat named Bob, but his last name is Cat.

  165. I have a cat that looks like that, minus the special toes, that I names Ephelba, after the wicked witch of the west, because she was totally a bitch when she was a kitten. She’s outgrown it now. Sorta.

  166. He looks just like my old cat Tater! Minus the extra toes. And the fact that he’s not violently attacking the foot in the picture…

  167. Ok, I’m an idiot — how many toes are cats SUPPOSED to have? Calpurnia Jean only has 4 on each foot and I figured she was a mutant, but if she and Bob Barker had a baby, would it even out to a normal cat? And how do other animals feel about Bob Barker’s stance on having your pets spayed and neutered?

  168. Bob Barker is an awesome cat name. But the real Bob Barker may very well kick the bucket before the cat does, and then it looks like you named your cat in memory of the late Bob Barker. If that’s not acceptable, I’d stick with Anderson Cooper. He’ll probably outlive Bob Barker. Probably.

  169. This is such a funny post and timely too. I am trying to convince my kids that a llama is a better pet than a dog. I even had a reader chime in and suggest a hedgehog! See my link below for our pet dilemma…

  171. Awesome! Congrats on your new kitteh.

    I love weird pet names. Hence, Gordon…the gecko. Because truly, if you have a gecko, his name should be Gordon, no?

  172. Definitely not a Bob Barker and not silvery enough to be Anderson Cooper. BUT, like Katie said, PTERODACTYL! Can you imagine if he got lost? Walking around the neighborhood yelling, “Pterodactyl! Pterodactyl!” would be worth it. Heck, even making the vet appointment would be fun.

    “Hello, I need to make an appointment. Pterodactyl needs his shots.”

    “Ma’am, we don’t treat extinct pre-historic flying dinosaurs.”

    “No, Pterodactyl is my cat, you crazy lady. What are you thinking? There are no DINOSAURS in Texas. Unless you know something I don’t….”

  173. Awwww. He’s a cutie.

    I bet he would be fun to kick.

    Extra toes mean extra good lander-er. More balance-y. It’s science.

  174. congratulations on your new baby. i have two polydactyl cats and they’re significantly weird in the head (just the way i like my cats), so you should enjoy this one. extra toe cats sometimes have one or more claws that don’t retract normally, so watch for epic toe-ripping snags. one of my dudes had to have a couple extra toes removed because of snagging. he still has approximately forty-seven extras, though, so no big.

  175. Hedgehogs are might eat your eyelids (then you can’t fall asleep during a movie, so it’s actually a free benefit), but a SquirrelDog will RIP OFF YOUR NUTS!

  178. Our cat names have been Pillage, Loot, Smoulder, Burn, Maim, Ambush, Runaway (hey, sometimes you just have to RUNAWAY!), Smash and Mayhem. And yes, they all take after their names. Le sigh.

  179. I love Anderson Coopurr! Your little polydactyl adoptee is too precious. We cannot have cats since the husband is deathly allergic (how selfish is that, to allow your throat to close up around your wife’s favorite animal) so now I must live vicarioulsy through your blog pictures of the kitten…

  180. I laughed so hard over this post…the conversation between you two was classic! I am so glad you found a kitty, regardless of the name. Anderson Cooper is quite a mouthful – maybe you can just call him Andy Cooper. Does he respond to that?

    Either way – congrats!

  182. Hello – this is so obvious, I can’t believe you missed it. You have to name him Count Rugen! Then you can quote Inigo Montoya (from the Princess Bride) at him all day!

    “Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.”

    Six fingered man? Six toed cat? It’s a sign from god! (or Hollywood)

  183. Oh my god, we just ended up with a polydactyl kitten, too!

    He has SIX extra toes and is totally worth more than the amount I adopted him for! Cats with opposable thumbs kick ass!!!

    YAY Bob Barker!

  184. Ok. First of all. I love cats. All cats. ESPECIALLY YOUR CAT! It has EXTRA toes, and is in its kitten stage. This makes it fucking-amazing. Not only is it adorafuckingble. But it has EXTRA claws. Its like… I bet if you’re asleep in your house, and someone breaks in… You and your family, while being totally gallant and macho, are forced to cower in fear… Because this robber wants you… Probably for some kind of weird sex-stuff.. the details aren’t important. What is though, is that not only will your kitten, bravely stand up to this robber, because “hey” he has extra ass-kicking-claws, he is also unashamedly adorable. Therefore, not only is your cat aggressive looking with all those extra war-claws, but he is also bafflingly cuddly. He is the ultimate in paradoxic-house-guarding pets. He is scary but cute. The robber will be so disarmed by such an amazing pet he’d probably seek you out to shake your hand and whisper “touché” to you. Because… what else can you say?

    P.S. If you haven’t read it yet… DO IT NOW – “Warm Bodies” – Its a book about a Zombie man who falls in love with a Human girl… and… Well, i don’t want to give too much away. But, If I found a gay zombie man, I would be snatching him up right now just in case he decided he didn’t want to kill me. Its a fairly easy read too. So that’s a bonus. Because thinking requires a lot of energy for me. Especially when I could be eating or getting drunk instead. Anyway, once again. “Warm Bodies” – AMAZING.

  185. There once was a cat name of Cooper
    With attributes subtly super:
    Thumbs that oppose,
    A surplus of toes,
    And a buttonhole ‘stead of a pooper.

  186. He’s so cute. We’re going to need to see lots of pictures of Anderson Cooper. We can’t have a cat, I’m allergic. The closest I’ve ever gotten to having a cat was our office kitty and I had to go wash my hands right after petting her so I didn’t end up sneezing uncontrollably.

  188. When I was a kid our cat Burdock gave birth to a polydactyl kitten we named Arthur. He had one extra digit – a thumb – and when his mum got bored with nursing and wandered away (as mother cats do), leaving his siblings crying, Arthur would stick his thumb in his mouth and curl his paw over his nose and be quite content. Too, too cute for words.

  189. I love the name Bob Barker for a cat, but since you’re not doing that, then how about Six Toe Joe?

  191. That is a double buck load of cute, and you just had to fire that right at us, didn’t you? Evil woman. And it’s amazing that it’s half pterodactyl, though you should likely stay on guard that it doesn’t eat your face in the middle of the night, as pterodactyls are wont to do.

  192. We had a polydactyl cat once. Best. Cat. Ever. I mean, with all those extra toes he won every cage match we threw at him.

    His opponents didn’t even see it coming.

  193. Most of my (currently 7. We had 4 kittens explode from one of our cats in a fit of furry little demon fury) cats are polydactyl. I tell people I have pet dinosaur cats. No one else ever makes the polydactyl/pterodactyl jump. Thank you for validating me. 🙂

  196. We have a 22 year old cat named Christopher Columbus. And a not 22 year old cat named Anaxamander. He was a Greek philosopher who believed that humans were formed out of a swirling void of water. The philosopher, not the cat. I don’t think the cat believes anything except that birds and mice are fun and tasty. And that our dog likes to torment him, which she does. But none of them are polydactyl. Or pterodactyl. They’re just regular dactyl. I’m not polydactyl either, but you probably don’t care so much about that.

  197. Why don’t husbands understand the awesomeness of a six-toed cat? My friend found a litter of polydactyl kittens and I wanted one but the husband said we couldn’t have any more pets. I was all “But it has six toes on each paw!” He said “Well, what makes it special?” And I was like “It has SIX TOES.” He said he didn’t get it and asked again what made them special, if they were smarter or something. I reiterated “IT’S A SIX TOED CAT.”

    We didn’t get the cat. Be thankful Victor will give in when it comes to polydactyls. I bet he’ll do the same with half pterodactyls. Lucky.

    PS – I totally copied and pasted from your post the words half pterodactyl and polydactyl because I was too lazy to even try to temporarily remember how to spell either word. God Bless America.

  198. A five month old kitten adopted us about three weeks ago (he is a stray–we checked everyplace we could think of and no one was looking for him). We decided on the name Loki which is the name of the Norse god of Mischief. It suits the little psycho.

  199. Ha! Oh my… From Bob Barker to Anderson Cooper…. This cat will be a STAR for sure, especially since he is part pterodactyl-pteradactyl- hang on I have to look at the spelling… Ha I was right the first time PTERODACTYL!!! He is so squishysweet too. Definately sweeter than a flying dinosaur!

    (Oh I guess I could have just looked at the comment above me for the proper spelling, instead of scrolling all the way up… oops)

    Plus if he is as cool as his name-sake, he can catch predators….

    Sorry about all the ellipses… I really like them

    Danielle

  200. Hemmingway’s cats were polydactals. So maybe your kittie is gunna steal your blog. I’d watch out if he starts eyeing the keyboard and sipping from your drinks.

  201. I’m feeling a little stalker-y but Paulie six-toes, or whatever his name will be, is just so damn cute. I keep looking at his picture and I just want to squish his head, in a totally non violent way.

    I feel like I have to mention that the shoes are just not that cute at all, so they may be adding to the mutated kitten’s cuteness…

    Danielle

  202. I suggest Phydeaux. Or petey The Pteradactyl polydactyl. My Joe wouldn’t let me use either on our polydactyl (just cuz she’s a girl), so we ended up calling her Widget ( as in that thing you don’t know the name of).

  203. Oh Jenny, I can’t believe you overlooked this. Um, the cat is a mutant…Wolverine is a mutant…you can yell Wolverine AND be calling your cat. How badass is that? Pretty damned badass if you ask me.

  204. You could call him siete – since you live in texas that is our second language and you wouldnt have to explain it to all your friends. My rescue cats are now 7-8 months old. I had forgotten all the havack that ensues having kitten. But I got 2 and they constantly chase each other. They are a joy to watch until you hear something smash in the next room which has happened too often to count. Including a glass vase that i LOVED that held red berries.

  206. He’s the cutest mutant kitty EVER! In my opinion, he has a much better hairdo than the real Anderson Cooper. And even though he’s not a hedgehog, his intestines WILL fall out if you squeeze him too hard. Don’t ask how I know this.

  207. forget comment no. 202 since I’m an idiot. siete is 7 – seis is 6 and doesnt sound right. the lightbulb went off after I posted. mea culpa..

  208. Well naturally any cat that is part pterodactyl is going to be a mutant. And likely by the end of his first year he will sprout that 2nd butthold Victor is wishing for. Or was that wishing against. No matter, it’ll be there.

  209. OMG! He is the cutest kitty – I used to have a polydactyl that looked just like him! I named mine Tigger (feel free to use the name. It’s a good one.) Tigger could climb everything – those extra claws ARE opposable despite what people tell you. You’ll see. Cooper is quite prepared for the Zombie Apocalypse.

  210. My dog has an extra set of ribs. Which isn’t nearly as cool as a polydactyl cat, and is in fact actually very creepy. Maybe I should have known when I learned about the extra rib. Since then we’ve been through 2 knee replacements, several surgeries and a few courses of radiation. He’s one of those “in 10% of dogs…” dogs. Which was all well and good when being in the 10% just meant an extra rib here and there, but sometimes I’d REALLY like for him to stop being so damn different from all the other dogs. What’s wrong with being in the 90% I ask you?? You don’t always have to stand out Winston! But he’s my baby, & I love him freaky little mutations and all.

  212. This is the best post possibly ever. I would want the mutant kitten too! This just made me laugh out loud and I think that you should definitely name him Anderson Cooper! That would be just awesome.

  213. I have a pair of polydactyls… they’re a handful (bah!)… you can teach them to tight-rope walk. well, not rope, but very thin dowel rods: they use their “thumbs” to grip and balance!

  214. I had a cat named Bob, but his full name was Bob Jones (as in the university). I also had a Princeton, Port (who we inherited from a neighbor after his sister Starboard died, but we changed his name- legally- to Portsmouth) and Columbia.- this was all my mother’s idea. I, on the other hand, named one of our dogs Bonzo, and when I grew up and got a guinea pig, I named her Snack Pack (because she was as cute as the pudding was delicious). I’m all about the bizarre names. Also, you should totally get a guinea pig, because they are AWESOME.

  217. I pity the animal shelter worker who would receive someone requesting a cat named Bob Barker. They would probably weep then turn down your application –OR– they would totally change a name card and present you with Mitten… I mean… Bob Barker the kitten.

    And for the record? Apparently great danes like to eat tinsel, too, and I was freaking out about it last night because of your well-researched post.

    We’re gonna have glitter-poo!

  218. Omg! Just got a polydactyl kitty for Chanukkah — there’s two words you don’t see in a sentence together everyday — and hubby had the same response, “You would pick the mutant cat.” Of course I would. Ours is named Ernest Hemmingway: Hemi for short. So much good lovin’ — and a blog soon to follow, right after we tell the mother-in-law who’s deathly afraid of cats. (insert evil laugh*)

  220. When I was little, our cat Goosie had a litter of kittens about every other week. It was in the 1950’s, and the spay/neuter thing just wasn’t there.

    Anyway, at age six I was considered old enough to name the kittens. So I did. Garry Moore, Durwood Kirby, Carol Burnett, and (God save us all) Sears Roebuck.

    My parents let the man who pumped out the septic tank name the next batch.

  221. We had a polydactyl cat once. He would get into my lingerie drawer, pull out my bras, look at them and throw them on the floor. I guess polydactylism also means your cat is a perv.

  222. My brother’s cat had thumbs. I had no idea it had an actual name.
    Are you sure she didn’t just make that up? Polydactyl. Hmm.

  223. My cat Sophie is a polydactyl as well. Here’s a picture of her:
    http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs034.snc3/12167_1172650514565_1177093881_30446394_4117554_n.jpg

    Word of warning, you need to be careful about the extra claws. Some polys don’t have muscular control of the extras, so they can’t keep them trimmed on a scratching post. We ended up needing to get her extra claws (but not toes!) removed, since she wouldn’t let us trim them at all. I’m normally against declawing, but seeing as how untrimmed poly claws can end up laming them, we didn’t have much of a choice.

  225. OH, God, he’s just adorable.

    I had a polydactylc cat years ago, Crash Davis. He would scoop food up with his feet and eat it from his paw. He was also the best cat at catching spiders. He’s squish them with his big mitt, and then do the same thing as with his food – scoop and eat.

    I have heard the mutation usually come from excessive inbreeding, which happens often with barn cats and feral populations, but I think it’s really cool.

  226. My best friend actually owned a hedgehog and she loved him. His name was Hendrix, after Jimmy, but most of the time we called him Hedgey, he just died though after a year of love and awesomeness. But a six toe cat totally beats that. Totally. Can I have him? I mean I live in a dorm room so his life would probably suck but if he’s gone one day and your window is broken don’t come to mississippi looking for him, because I won’t give him up no matter what. Bartholomew (his new name) and I will be the modern day Bonnie and Clyde.

  228. I had a poly-pterodactyl once. Connor was a great cat. Very sweet. His toes were the topic of conversation with many. After awhile, I honestly didn’t even notice them. His wings however…

    Did you know the police department won’t come out for cats stuck in a tree anymore? Especially if the cat only mocks them and flys away when they climb up there to save his little butt? Connor thought that it was hilarious. The firemen, not so much.

  229. I hope YOUR Bob Barker isn’t sued for sexual harassment; keep him away from the lovely ladies. And of course he should have a sign telling everyone to spay or neuter his sisters and brothers of the world.

  230. “The only way this cat could be worse is if it had two buttholes”
    Now that’s funny.

    In sticking with the game show theme I think this little guys looks like a Wink Martindale!

  231. It is sooo nice to have somewhere to come whenever you want to laugh out loud. THANK YOU!

  234. Oh jenny! I love you so much for deciding on “the mutant” cat. I think it’s so awful that no one else wanted him! I mean look at him! He’s adorable!
    You are such a good person! I’m glad there’s people like you in the world. And this comment has a lot of !s. Sorry

  238. Out of all the suggestions, I am so voting for Count Rugen. He looks like a Count to me.

  239. I was massively disappointed when I learned he does not have 4 extra toes per paw, 4 overall. A cat with 9 toes on each paw would be the most bad-ass cat ever. Not only would it have thumbs, but back-up thumbs and back-ups for its back-up thumbs. and back-up thumbs for its back-up-back-up thumbs. He could flag down 16 cars at once if he was hitchhiking on his back!

  241. Oh my gosh! Bob Barker, Anderson Cooper, 6 Toes, whatever his name is, is ADORABLE! And how appropriate that you got the mutant cat. Hysterical!

    PS. I vote for Anderson Cooper.

  242. He’s so CUTE! Who cares if he’s polydactyl? I bet he turns out to be the most awesome cat ever!

  244. OH. And on a complete side-note: why does your house always look so clean? This last photo is of the floor. I can guarantee a photo of my floor would not be something I’d be able to post on the Internet.

  247. Bob Barker is an awesome name. As is Paulie Six Toes. As is Anderson Cooper. No matter what you call him, he’s still awesomely cute and awesome. (just don’t call him Moondoggie. We’ve got total dibs on that name for a cat. And as you will see, it’s a perfect name for him: http://tinyurl.com/moodoggie )

  248. Well he is so cute. We once had a mitten kitten too… he finally went to the big litter box in the sky, but was a sweetie.

  249. Also……. its way cool that these cats are also know as Hemingway Cats. So you can totally brag that your cat is of famous lineage.

  252. I’m going with Paulie Six Toes………..because he is a bad ass………….and so darn cute! Whatever you name him I know Hailey will love him…….and THAT’S what’s most important.

  253. I’m not saying that you and Victor are insane or anything, but I think maybe you should let Hailey name the cat.

  254. I don’t have a cat named Bob Barker but you can have my husband…his name is ROB BARKER and to be honest he is like a giant lazy fat cat… (but to his utter dismay he can’t lick himself). but that is the ONLY difference between him and a cat! I will even ship him free of charge to you 😉

  255. Twelve toes on four fee? Doesn’t that correspond with
    twelve days of Christmas and four horsemen of the apoc-

    YOU HAVE THE APOCALYPSE CAT!!
    (the end of days is now officially your fault)

    good thing I know a couple of cute angels

  256. Oh my gosh, he’s so darn cute! Also, we had a cat with the extra toes when I was a kid. We cleverly named him BigFoot. I know, we’re frigging geniuses.

  258. I have had two polydactyl cats. One is the smartest cat I have ever seen. Seriously…he taught other cats to climb trees (and more importantly get down)…and he would hunt and catch his own food. I had to leave him at home when I left for college 13 years ago. My mom hasn’t bought him cat food since. No, she’s not inhumane. HE CATCHES HIS OWN FUCKING FOOD! Squirrels … humming birds … I’m not kidding!!!

    The other polydactly cat (who currently lives with me) is retarded. No, that’s not an overexaggeration. He really is. He eats plastic bags and tampon wrappers and is afraid of his own tail. He also has a “gland problem”…he has no off switch for eating. But do you think he could catch his own food? Hell fucking no! So we go broke feeding his fat ass diet cat food prescribed by the vet so he can maintain his “svelte” 15-pound frame (he used to be 21.5 lbs).

    So basically what I’m saying is … good luck with the polydactly cat …. it could go either way. But at least he’s cute!

  259. I have nothing clever or pithy to say except that your kitten is absolutely freaking adorable and I hope the name Anderson Cooper sticks because I think I might be in love with the TV man of the same name! I look forward to hearing of the adventures of your new little AC.

  262. Well, Anderson Cooper is a total fox, so, good call. By the cat that is. Now you can tell people you live with Anderson Cooper too. And that he’s a great roommate – totally goes in the box, entertains himself playing with string, and lets you borrow his tight t-shirts. Rawr.

  264. Obviously you should call him Bob Barker ONLY if when you call him you say “COME ON DOWN!” I’m sure he will figure it out then.

  265. I don’t think you should have given up on the hedgehog so quickly. It’s not like they smell or anything…..Well, if the kitty doesn’t work out, maybe you could get that hedgehog cutie after all.

  267. My best friend has a polydactyl cat. She can fetch balled up pieces of paper. Even better, my friend had a fur pin that the cat became obsessed with. She hid it in her jewelry box and the cat opened the box and stole it from her. Also, when she walks on the hard wood floor she sounds like a ghost lady with high heel shoes. Double awesome!

  270. Polydactyl cats are the bomb. Ours was named Shredder and she really could pick things up with her paws! Mutant cats FTW!

  272. I adopted a Maine Coon from the Humane Society in Little Rock that was polydactyl. I went to get a Siamese but kept going back to look at the BIG kitten with the Clydesdale feet. They took her out of the enclosure and handed her to me, she wrapped those massive paws around my neck and WOULD NOT LET GO. I had to adopt her it was easier than amputation. The shelter people told me that she was the last of a litter of 13 and that no one would take her because she talked too much. (she did) after the 4 hour drive back home, I carried her in the door and dropped her and said “you’re home!” she looked around, chirrped & murppled a bit and promptly quit screaming. After that the only time she talked too much was when i had to take her to the vets, bring her home, she’s quiet, take her out she’s LOUD. Had Alshane for 13 happy years and will always miss her.

  273. Congratulations! I am a firm believer that pets find you rather than the other way around. I think it’s totally awesome that he’s mutated. Nice to see you and Victor are so well suited 🙂

  274. my son was polydactyl at birth. two thumbs. they cut off the one that couldn’t move on its own, although it did have a fingernail and everything. we like to call him “digit.”

  276. Oh. Em. Gee. Cutest cat ever! I bet it’s the extra toes…. they make him extra cute!

  277. You got a MUCH better deal on your cat than I did on mine. Four extra toes for free! My cat should have been on discount for missing half of her tail, like when you go to the store and you get a special price because a box was already opened. Clearly I do not know how to shop for pets.

  278. Dude, it pretty much picked it’s name. Luckily, the name was Anderson Cooper and now when your on the phone and have to say, “I’m sorry I’ve got to go Anderson Cooper won’t stop rubbing against my leg.” it will be true. How much does that rock?
    (This is Not why I named my cat Johnny Dep )

  279. Just when I think I can get to the bottom of a post without doing a third-grade giggle into my full teacup, you get me again. DAMN.

  280. This one may be able to climb trees, even declawed. As he is, your curtains may be turned into furtains.
    Glad he’s in your house instead of down here in the Alibible Belt where some jerk would torment him in the brain-dead belief that his mutancy could be the devil’s mark.
    Mutant sends mutant a scratch behind the ears. Give him a really nice name–he may need it someday.

  281. So I have a polydactyl cat. His litter had three black & white mutant babies all with extra toes and all with massive personality disorders. My cat has the most toes of them all, though, because he has SEVEN on each front foot. Wait until you see them trip. Their little kitty brains don’t realize they’re mutants, so they try to walk normally, trip on those extra big feet, and faceplant into the carpet. Hilarious!

    I think they’re developing this mutation so they can open their own damn food, then they won’t need us anymore.

  282. Jenny – he is super cutastic. But I don’t know how to tell you this, so I just will. All of the toes on his feet make him look like he has elephant legs. They look just like the legs of elephants. So you should name him Ellie Phante Roberto Barker Andy Cooper.

  286. Damn, woman, you got me. Laughing and crying all at once. What a story – and what a cat.

    I’m totally loving that you have a polydactyl cat who told you his name was Bob Barker. Except it’s not. And for all I know he’s a she.

    Happy Holidays, Jenny!

  287. Holy crap that cat is cute.

    One of my cats is polydactyl. Her only special super power is meowing for food really loud, like maybe the extra toes give her extra reservoirs of voice. Although that could also be the 20 pounds of fat giving her that extra oomph. Seriously, she’s huge. One day she’ll have a heart attack and then we’ll stuff her like James Garfield because a giant cat with extra toes would make an excellent coffee table. But seriously, the polydactyl cat obesity epidemic is no joke. Tread lightly.

  288. You know, if you keep the name Anderson Cooper then you are going to be committed to going out New Year’s Eve to find an orange, frisky cat named Kathy Griffin to be his side-kick.

  289. So very happy I stumbled across this blog, everything I’ve read has made me giggle and I love that we can see the extra big paws in the pic above of Anderson Cooper.

  290. haha! Love it! I had a friend who’s dog was named Steve Pizza Rockstar SMIFF… (their last name was Smith, obviously named by the kiddlets). FYI. It was a female dog. Poor Steve.

  291. Mitten paws! My cat, Libby, had mitten paws. It helped her hold on well when she decided to take a nap under the hood of our van about the same time my mom decided we should go to the grocery to get milk and toilet paper before a snow storm. She was totally fine and we found her in the parking lot when we got out of the grocery so she got to ride shotgun on the way home.

  295. I work at a shelter where we have an 18 year old cat with thumbs. He sits on top of things and clutches them with his creepy giant paws. Also being 18 years old he’s super creepy looking. I tell people he’s a zombie cat, and when he meoooows at other staff members I whisper “braaaaains”.

  296. i named my cat bubbles after the crack addict from the tv show The Wire…. he only responds to kitten. anderson cooper is f’ing adorable

  298. ahahha. My husband loves this post. He is a cat addict lol. He said to tell you the cat totally looks like a Bob Barker but Anderson Cooper is cool too.

  300. hey my cat has that same mutation! we call him inigo montoya … from the princess diaries

  301. but inigo only responds to mowmow … oh well he’s a cat so i guess its amazing that he responds at all

  302. The reason I’m writing is I need some assistance with making my life work since the divorce.  It was this time last year and it has been hard on me: emotionally, physically and financially.  (Now I’m seeing some reaction from my young children too, not sure if it is  delayed or new issues due to their living changed conditions.)
     
     I am writing in hope for connecting me with help.  These past few months have taken a toll on me, financially and emotionally and I am at my dire ends. 
     
    I am capable and able to work but the jobs I need aren’t around that I can find.  I have been looking but jobs that pay in the range I need which are usually require weekend work & would eliminate me as a participating father for my children.  That was one of the factors in the Divorce, I worked 2nd shift and OT too.
     
    I have been in this new town for over a year and my current work position was offered to me deceitfully.  The offer/salary never materialized and now understanding of the inner workings of their company, I realize I have been taken advantage of and the management has no business ethics or compassion and I can’t compromise mine or my christian beliefs.

    Some background is I moved to KY a few yrs ago, my family (wife & 3 younger children) and no friends or family in the area for support.  Then last year I was really surprised by a Divorce from my wife.. I moved to the closest big city and found my current job.  Between now paying for my living expenses and my child support, I am living in a negative balance each month. I have exhausted my savings and known resources of making ends meet. I have been too proud to find outside help but now I am basically a month from homelessness, which I am not sure my children’s mother will use against me to get more custody of them.
     
    I have a few bills but no great debt and each month I struggle to pay my debts, living expenses and support ($) for my children. I have been trying to sell my old cars to make some extra funds but a few months ago my cars broke down.  The repair man has been very helpful with me to try and get them running, and the bills are adding up there too.  I still have them up For Sale with few interested but no takers. I use an old truck for my work but only holds 3 and so I can’t drive all my children around because it is too small (not enough seats).  It makes it difficult to take them on my visitations, Thursday nights, weekends and church on Sundays. (We ended up watching it on TV but they need their classes too.)
     
    So between my job actually costing me to work by driving my cars and reimbursements not covering the actual costs, along with not generating the pay they told me and covering my incidentals and extra bills, I am on the verge of being homeless.  My rent has been late 2 of the last 3 months and my landlord wants me to sign a lease next month. I have been wanting to find a larger home so my children can feel comfortable coming to visit with me.  Currently I live in a 1bd upper floor apt/house and the floors weren’t meant/insulated for an apartment.  The tenant downstairs has made several complaints and now my kids have to tiptoe & restrain themselves from having normal kid fun because of fear I will get kicked out due to the noise.  Anyway they don’t like to visit now, yet I try to take them elsewhere during the day, which is much harder now because of the cold weather and added expense to cloth & entertain them outside of the home.
     
    This morning I sat at home and a very heavy heart, not knowing what to do next or how I’ll make up my deficit to pay my bills or get out of the RED each month. I just knew that I can’t stay at my current job much longer, I see them letting me go in a few weeks or earlier (before the year end so they don’t have to give for any vacation pay).

    If anyone can help pay my Energy Utility bill that would relieve stress and help me so much.  I am also in search of a better paying job. I am a  ethical worker and have a diverse background w/ BSBA. 

    Contact me if you can help.

    Thank you for your consideration and compassion.
     
    Have a Blessed Day,
     
    Dad O’Three
    dutchincase@yahoo.com

  304. We have a dog named Oscar Mayer Weiner and he is 70 pounds. Our kitty is named Bunny- both adopted as well. Yay for funny pet names!

  305. Unusually big head, 6 toes, that is the cutest thing I’ve seen in a long time! Ours is nicknamed puppy-cat because he will eat anything (bread, fruit, tinsel too) and loves to play ball.

  306. WOW – 4 extra toes. Sweet! We call my cat mama, cause she runs around all day saying mama. My 5 year old asked me the other day, “What if mama didn’t have legs” I told him… “I would love her much more” Because she can’t tear up all my shit! FYI – I didn’t say that last part, just the love her much more thing)

    Your blog makes me want to eat some cotton-candy!

  307. I have a polydactyl cat as well – her name is Priscilla Presley. I’m fairly certain she has social anxiety disorder. You may want to watch for signs of that. Have fun Hangin’ with Mr Cooper!

  308. We bought a cat at Wayside Waifs whose name was Jack and after his name was his color, which he is black. So we just HAD to have him because his name to us looked like Jack Black but for some reason when we got home, we were trying to think of what to call him because I guess that wasn’t good enough to just walk around calling him Jack Black so now we call him Jack Jack. Love it!

  309. Oh, he’s adorable!!

    We have two polydactyls, and thank god their thumbs aren’t truly opposable or they’d take over the world! LOL As it is, the other cats get the larger (and more intelligent) polydactyl to open doors that they can’t manage themselves. I haven’t caught him trying to use the door keys yet, but I fear it may just be a matter of time….

  310. My sister had a cat who had polydactyl kittens. It was easy to tell which tom cat the father was because all kittens were born with seven toes in the front, and six in the back, just like their dad.

  312. My roommate’s cat is named Bearcat, and he’s polypteradactyl and possibly completely inbred (which means he looks like he has really awesomely defined cheekbones that Joan Rivers would KILL for) and also he thinks he’s a dog because all he wants to do is lick your face. And eat your hair. Not… not that that last part is a dog thing. That sounds more like a hedgehog thing.

  314. I had a poly dactyl kitty for a while. His name was Charlie and he was AWESOME! My friend called him Gloves Kitty. He ran away when we got our dog. Moral: don’t get a new dog because poly dactyl kittys are the best. They are nicknamed “Hemingway cats” because Ernest kept them as a hobby in Key west. They over populate the island, which is awesome, too. Alrighty, enjoy!

  317. My first cat was a polydactyl. He was also abused and sick (both unbeknownst to us). Several hundred in vet bills later because my mom didn’t have the heart to tell her 7 year-old daughter the new kitten wasn’t going to make it, we had a reasonably healthy, extremely bi-polar cat. When he wasn’t trying to shred the skin off my ankles with his many-clawed feet or getting into fights with other cats, he followed me around like a dog and purred like an outboard motor. He lived to 17. I still miss him.

  320. I name all my animals in for old bluesmen, musicians or athletes. Currently in the house: Leon Russell “Hambone” Hart, Percy Leonard “Fat Lenny” Katt, and (Lil’) Penny (Hardaway) Hart. Past kittens: Freida Jean (a boy), Madeline Kahn (also a boy), Nico, Tito Jackson Hart, and Nipsey Russell Hart (For a while all I had was Leon Russell the dog; Nipsey Russell was an obvious name for a brotha. Nipsey Russell ran away, damn him.)
    I’m late to the party on this, as usual, but srsly, best stuff I’ve read in ages.
    Side note: I’ve got future animals named too, and I’ll know Dolly Parton when she/he saunters into my life.

  322. Just showed my 5 yr old this pic & told him about the extra toes & he said, “who has 4 extra toes the guy or the cat?!” He was thoroughly bummed it wasn’t they guy but kinda stoked about extra cat toes & now wants a cat w/ extra toes!

  325. I just recently bought a house and can finally have as many cats as I want without paying a shitload in pet fees and pet deposits so I was browsing through the Humane Society’s website looking at cats available for adoption (in case everything works out and we do go to closing, I can already have my future cat picked out). I just started reading your blog a couple weeks ago (I was living under a rock) and read all the way back to sometime in 2009 because I was so hooked and think you’re funny as shit, which isn’t my point, but it did mean that your post about finding a cat named Bob Barker was fresh in my mind. As I was scrolling through I saw Bob Barker! I thought their description of Bob was funny: “Loving families, COME ON DOWN! My name is Bob Barker, and I’m a friendly cat looking for love. Don’t pass on this showcase! I have a sweet, affectionate personality…I like attention, but not too demanding about it…and people say I’m pretty handsome, too! Come on down to IndyHumane, and talk to an Adoption Counselor today. If you take me home, you’ll definitely be a winner! (And tell your friends to spay and neuter their pets!)”

  326. Our first cat was elderly polydactyl called Bob! I doubt his last name was Barker. Dog FearlessPsychoticHatredOfDogs, maybe. He lived over 20 years, the final two with us. His feet were awesome.

  328. My cat has extra toes too! Lots of them. Like six. It’s actually quite common in New England. We’ve had three, I think, in 30 years. Our first polydactyl was named, uncreatively, “Thumbs.”

  330. One of the best posts ever! I have two polydactals…well, one has passed away. She was my first and I didn’t even know until I was finishing the adoption paperwork and one of the technicians pointed it out. I was a bit freaked out at first but she was the one I really wanted because she was already named Buttercup (I was going through a similar situation of looking for a cat with the name I already wanted! LOL) she quickly earned the nickname “mutant kitty” by my friends. 5 years later we adopted another one to keep her company….Pixel. I’ll never own another cat that isn’t a polydactal! They are great! BTW, love the final name of Ferris Mewler!

  331. My mom has a cat named Steve Barkley…well he was- now he is known as Teeny Tiny aka TT- he is 13 lbs of fur.

  333. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-16121614 – Ferris Mewler should take this cat out in a grudge match. Except that would be wrong because this cat does charity. I’m torn. I’m wanting to see a polydactyl cat on polydactyl cat brawl. But, would it be like picking a fight with a Salvation Army holiday bell ringer? They just want to do some good. But, so many claws!

  336. Which is better than the time I helped a friend choose a cat at the SPCA (because apparently I’m a cat expert), and I went to see her a week later, and the cat walked in the room, and I looked at my friend and said “Bridg? This cat has no tail.” And she said “Yeah, I noticed that when I got him home, too.”

  337. I had a partially blind kitty with deformed hips… Her name was “Handicat”. But she was handy-capable.

  338. I’m too lazy to read all the comments to see if anyone else said they have a hedgehog but I have one and she would never eat my eyelids in my sleep. At least I don’t think so. When I want to try new treats with her, I put them in her food bowl alongside her normal food to see if she likes it so until I get some eyelids, the jury is still out I guess. I’ll keep you posted.

  339. 3 years late to this party, but my husband stopped at a house with a “free kittens” sign, picked out the only polydactyl one (because “you like weird things and this cat’s a MUTANT”), left, and called animal control because the other animals weren’t cared for. He said I could name the cat, and thus The Old Man and the Sea was christened. It’s a bitch to yell at him, so it’s been shortened to TOMAS (all caps, obvs) or just T.

    T suckles on fuzzy blankets the way Hemingway suckled on martinis; is a fierce killing machine; and absolutely terrifies my pug. He’s pretty cool for a cat.

  340. I adopted a REAL Bob Barker at a FICA show in Raleigh last month. They had cats for adoption from a nearby humane society, He’s a 4 YO tabby and he couldn’t be more perfect. I think he’s my soul mate. At first, I thought I would probably change his name, because as cat names go, Bob Barker is a pretty formal name, and who would ever think of naming their cat Bob Barker? But as the days went by and we were getting acquainted, Bob Barker just fit him. Yup—Bob Barker and I are doing just fine!

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