Furry avatars of doom

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Erm, sorry, but cats do not have "thumbs" as such. Plenty of animals besides humans do have an opposable thumb (pollex) but felids do not.

On felids, Digit I of the manus is much reduced (hence the dew claw) but it cannot be operated in the manner of an opposable thumb. As a digitigrade, the carpometacarpal joints of a cat manus simply do not allow for medial rotation. That is not to say that cat Digit Is cannot be dexterous. Just that their joints and related muscles work differently from those of plantigrade animals - such as the Great Apes.

In any case cat metacarpals are far too short to act as a useful opposable thumb. Besides, part of the function of opposable thumbs (and big toes) in primates is to facilitate climbing. Felids solved that issue with semi- or fully-retractable claws. No thumbs needed.
 
Apophenia said:
Erm, sorry, but cats do not have "thumbs" as such. Plenty of animals besides humans do have an opposable thumb (pollex) but felids do not.

On felids, Digit I of the manus is much reduced (hence the dew claw) but it cannot be operated in the manner of an opposable thumb. As a digitigrade, the carpometacarpal joints of a cat manus simply do not allow for medial rotation. That is not to say that cat Digit Is cannot be dexterous. Just that their joints and related muscles work differently from those of plantigrade animals - such as the Great Apes.

In any case cat metacarpals are far too short to act as a useful opposable thumb. Besides, part of the function of opposable thumbs (and big toes) in primates is to facilitate climbing. Felids solved that issue with semi- or fully-retractable claws. No thumbs needed.
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True, and here's my brother &s sister-in-law's cat, Polly. She's not using her 'thumbs' (sic - she's polydactyl, hence her name) in opposition, but she can improvise. Here she is playing with a cotton bud (Q-tip) and managing to hold it in one paw. She's been seen holding other things too. She can't rotate her digits like a primate can of course, as you explain.

One of the photos is Polly as a kitten (she's fully grown now) and her mitten-like paws are clear.

Polydactyly is relatively common among Maine Coons and actually desired by buyers. A few more centuries of selective breeding and maybe something as useful as a panda's thumb might turn up.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sesamoid_bone#Other_animals
 

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IT'S MINE, MINE, MINE...
HBAQhx5bsAMaGGg
 
 
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