What Has One Ear, Extra Toes and No Tail?

Answer:  A very special resident at Prairie’s Edge Humane Society.  

Shiloh is a very special kitten who came to the Prairie's Edge Humane Society (PEHS) shelter on February 7^th.  She was a tiny kitten, only three pounds, when she was found scared, hungry, very cold and all alone in a parking lot in Faribault.  Shiloh was brought to PEHS by a caring individual who knew that PEHS was a place that could help her and care for her needs. Shiloh, as she was named when brought to PEHS, had obviously been living outside with no shelter during a very cold spell as she was suffering from severe frostbite to her ears and tail. If not for the obvious signs of frostbite however, you would never know this tiny baby was as injured as she was when she came to us since as soon as she was placed in a warm bed and given food she was purring as loud as could be and did so any time anyone came anywhere near her kennel in our exam room area where the animals waiting for surgeries or are being treated for other issues are kept until placed on the adoption floor. She was so happy to be with people and receive the attention she was getting so much of and so badly needed.

Shiloh’s tail and ears were very badly damaged from the frostbite.  Her injuries were treated for a few days by our staff in hopes that the tail and both ears could be saved, but unfortunately it was not to be.  Shiloh eventually lost one of her ears and her full tail had to be amputated by our shelter veterinarian.  Shiloh was a champ through it all; she is a tough little girl with a large personality.  Even though she now has only one ear and no tail, there is something else very special about Shiloh…she is a polydactyl.  A polydactyl or Hemingway cat as they are sometimes called is a cat with extra toes. Instead of the normal 5 toes on her front paws, Shiloh has 6 toes, one of which looks and acts like a thumb. Shiloh has a separate toe cluster which gives the appearance of a thumb on each of her front paws and she has learned to actually use it similar to a thumb when she grabs hold of an item. Polydactyl cats are born with extra toes as a result of a genetic mutation.   They are sometimes called Hemingway cats because Ernest Hemingway acquired a white polydactyl cat named Snowball from a ship’s captain and became quite fond of it.  After his death in 1961, Hemingway’s estate in Key West, Florida became a museum and a home for his cats, some of which are descendents of the original polydactyl cat.  There is currently a colony of 40-50 cats living on the museum grounds and about half of them are polydactyl. 

Shiloh is now about six months old, has grown like crazy and is full of energy.  The kittens are allowed to have the run of the lobby area at the shelter in the morning prior to the shelter
being open to the public.  Shiloh loves this playtime and she keeps everyone entertained with her antics.  She loves to be cuddled and will purr very loudly when doing so but don’t let this sweet adorable kitten fool you as once she decides cuddle time is over she lets you know in no uncertain terms that it is playtime and she is on the go!  We like to think that Shiloh was given extra toes in order to make up for the parts she is now missing.  As of this writing Shiloh is still waiting for her forever home where she will surely entertain her new family with her large personality and her unique features will be a topic of conversation for any visitor!

Shiloh is just one of the very special animals being cared for at Prairie’s Edge Humane Society.  At PEHS we see animals every day that have been abused, injured, sick or simply became lost or were no longer able to stay in the only home they have ever known.  We take in these animals and help them however we can.  Our dedicated staff and volunteers spend their days caring for these animals, healing their injuries, treating their sicknesses, teaching them to trust again and showing them what love is.  These animals simply want to be loved and to give love in return.   To them it is quite simple.  They are forgiving, loyal, brave and they teach us everyday how to overcome adversity and what unconditional love is really all about.