Thor and his Thumbs
 

This is the cat I'm pet-sitting for the next two weeks. He has thumbs (or extra toes) and can pick up items. I don't think the mutation is very rare, but it's a cute pic anyway.

Are they opposable?

And, if they're opposable, do you think you could train him to open things? That would take fetch to an entirely different level. Sort of like a helper monkey, but with less poo-flinging.

Without mentioning poo eating.

Not opposable in the sense that he can touch his "thumb" to his other toes. That would be something. But he can pick up things. I've seen him reach into a bag of cat treats, pick them out and eat them.

He's also been known to play with his food and throw it around. But thankfully, no poo-flinging.

A friend of mine out west told me about a cat with this same mutation who was a kleptomaniac. I never met this cat, and this was long before I met Thor. Apparently, the cat would sneak into neighbors' houses and steal things.

My cat just likes to sneak into other peoples' houses. All of the neighbors know him because they've found him right inside the door looking bewildered.

My cat doesn't have any extra toes, but she often refuses to eat out of her cat dish, instead pulling the food out onto the floor where she eats it, and on rare occasions, she'll skip the floor and eat it straight from her paw. I got a short video of her doing it a while back, but you couldn't really see what she was doing in it, so no point in posting it.

Now in Key West they have Hemingway's cats with extra toes, but I've never heard of cats being able to pick up things, except in a fantasy book series with a character who had pet thumbed pyromaniac cats.

I'd train'm on wallets then turn'm loose on the neighborhood! Perhaps jewelery, but that'd be harder, because you wouldn't want them draggin home boxes full of crappy costume jewelery... :D

Quzah.

I had a cat that used to eat with his pawns. It was the funniest thing to watching him eat rice.

My cat is way too regal to bother with his pawns. He uses only the Bishops, Kings or Queens to eat with.

Paws, you nazi.

My cat, Merry, also has "thumbs". She is able to wrap them around items such as pens and various toys (she can hold a toy mouse in one "hand" if she gets a firm grip). Her "thumbs" seem very opposable but I doubt she could be taught to do much with them, she isn't the brightest cat in the world. It's asking alot to have thumbs and a huge cat brain all in one genetic roll of the dice... but if it had worked out like that I'd be making some cash with a reading / writing cat scam.

P.S. No offense, but the cat you are sitting does not deserve such a strong and noble name as Thor. He may be a lovely animal but his gut is very un-godly... try to get his owners to cut down on the feedings or something.

Cool cat!

Thor is on a diet constantly. He gets 1/8 cup of food in the AM and 1/8 cup food in the PM. His humans love him dearly and they worry about his health. He's been bigger. Oh, I think the pic is from a year ago anyway.