Have you heard of toebeans? It's the cutest way to talk about your cat's feet! Just like your fingers and toes are called digits, cat's toes are officially called digital pads, but saying toe beans is much cuter, because if you look at a cat's paw pads, you'll notice their toes look like jelly beans! So, now let's stop pussyfooting around and dive into the world of those cute little bean toes!
According to Rover.com, Cat toe beans are used as shock absorbers. Everyone has heard about how cats (almost) always land on their feet, and when they do, those cute cat beans come into play by absorbing some of the impact of their fall. LitterRobot.com points out that cat paw pads are squishy because they contain fatty tissue, which makes them well suited to taking on the impact of a fall. LitterRobot.com also notes that those fatty cat beans help to make them the notoriously silent walkers that they are! That's a useful trait when stalking their prey!
But, kitty beans aren't just about landing from falls and walking quietly, they also help a cat spread their scent! Cats are often seen scratching and kneading things and Rover.com says that this action helps activate scent glands between their toe beans to help a cat mark out their favorite spots!
Rover.com also points out another use for toebeans, which is to help regulate your kitty's temperature. Like dogs, cats don't have pores to sweat through like we do, but cats toes and paw pads do have some sweat glands to help cool them off. Of course, their toe beans don't cover a large part of their body, so an overheated cat might still want to find a cooler place to help them cool down.
Not all cats like to have their feet touched, but if your cat will let you, you will notice that if you press on their toe beans, their claw will pop out. This can be useful for trimming their claws! if you are trimming at home, only trim near the end. Once you push on the toe bean and the nail pops out, you'll probably be able to see the "quick" of the nail. According to the animal rescue site, this part of the claw has blood and nerve vessels, so you won't want to cut into that part of a cat's claw!
Now, if you are wondering how many toe beans cats have, most have 4, but their are lots of polydactyl cats out there. Polydactyl means extra digits, and extra digits means extra toe beans! This youtube video shows a cute cat with 28 toes, 8 more than the average cat, and tied for the world record!
Of course, a cat's toe beans are not covered with fur like most of the rest of their body, so those paw beans can get chapped or dry, like your hands might, but don't use your hand lotion on the toe beans of a cat! As you know, they groom themselves by licking themselves, and Rover.com points out that ingredients in moisturizers for people could be poison to cats, so check with your vet to see what a good balm for your cat's paws would be!
And one more super cute fact about cat beans! Did you know there are cat toe beans in space? Well, not really, but LitterRobot.com does mention that the Cat's Paw Nebula got it's name from his resemblance to those cute cat toes we all know and love!
After all this reading about cat's toes, if you are down with toe beans and want to let the world know, pick up one of our toe bean pins!
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