The dewclaw looks just like the cat’s other claws, but the dewclaw is not located at the tip of the cat’s four “toes” at the front of their paws. The dewclaw is on the inner side of each of the cat’s front legs, just a little ways up from the paw. It does not touch the ground when the cat is standing.
This photo gives us a pictorial example of a dewclaw:
Do Cats Need Their Dewclaws?
In many mammals, the dewclaw is considered vestigial, meaning it is of no functional value to the animal. However, in cats the dewclaw is thought to be useful in gripping and climbing, therefore not vestigial, but in fact needed.
You may see the dewclaw in action when your cat is playing with a toy or with some object they have decided to use as a toy. When they are holding their “prey”, particularly doing so with the two front paws, the dewclaw may be helpful to them.
Since toys are such a vital part of your cat’s drive to act out that instinctual hunting passion, you may want to look at my blog post How to Choose Cat Toys.
Why Is It Called a Dewclaw?
Some folks suggest it may be called dewclaw because the dewclaw does not touch the ground when the cat is walking, but it does touch the dew on the grass. I can find no academic verification for this hypothesis, and as best I can tell the origin of the word is unknown.
What Are Cat Dewclaws Made Of?
Dewclaws and the other cat claws are all made of the same substance, that being the fibrous protein referred to as keratin. Although there is a big difference in the form and function of human finger nails and cat claws, both are made of keratin.
Just like human fingernails, cat claws continue to grow. As the outer layer of the claw becomes dead tissue, it is referred to as the sheath. This sheath will often be discarded when your cat uses the household scratching posts.
Visit my blog post How to Choose a Cat Tree for information about scratching posts.
Are Cat Dewclaws Retractable?
Cat dewclaws are not retractable. The dewclaws are on the front legs, and are attached to a digit that is a little like a human thumb.
The cat’s other claws are retractable, although the word retract may not be a proper description of the action that takes place.
The non-dewclaw claws are attached to the cat’s four toes, which have joints similar to those on a human finger. Much like a human is able to curl and to straighten their fingers and toes, so it is with cats.
When the muscles, tendons and ligaments in the cat’s paws are relaxed, the rigid claws are mostly withdrawn, and this is referred to as retraction.
When the cat flexes those muscles and extends their toes, the claws are exposed, and this is referred to as protraction.
According to Encyclopedia Britannica, all members of the cat family except the Cheetah can retract their non-dewclaw claws. The fleet Cheetah needs those protracted claws to grip the ground when they are using their amazing speed to chase prey.
How Many Dewclaws Does a Cat Have?
There is only one dewclaw on each of the cat’s two front legs. One might think of the dewclaw as an extra claw that is in addition to the four other claws that are on each of the cat’s front legs. The back legs also have the four claws each, but without the additional dewclaw.
Most cats have a total of eighteen claws. Including the dewclaw, there are five on each of the front legs. There are four claws on each back leg, for a total of eighteen claws altogether.
Some cats have more than the eighteen claws or toes, and they are known as polydactyl cats.
The most common polydactyl manifestation is an extra toe on each front paw, but there are also less common variations as to the number and location of extra digits. In other words, some polydactyl cats have more toes than the eighteen plus two extra, but those combinations occur less frequently.
The author Ernest Hemingway had polydactyl cats, and their descendants still live at his museum home in Key West. They are often referred to as “the Hemingway cats”.
For a great article about the Hemingway Cats, see the Florida Weekly – Key West Edition.
Do Cats Love Their Dewclaws?
Their dewclaws, and all their claws, are a significant part of a cat’s very existence.
Have you noticed your cat enthusiastically scratching on their posts? Or biting their claws to groom them. Or displaying their claws to show them off?
Would you not agree that cats take pride in their claws. I would say that cats do love their dewclaws, and all of their claws.
Would You Like More Information?
There is more interesting stuff on my blog post Learn About Cats. The more one knows about these incredible animals, the more one appreciates them.