Cats are amazing. They interact with humans as equals, never tolerating bossy people or submissively taking orders from anyone. Fiercely independent, they are still wild predators at heart yet love to give and receive affection. I wish more people were like cats.

My cat Ariel is special. She's a polydactyl, which means she has extra toes and claws. Each of her front paws has 3 extra toes and each of her back paws has 2 extra toes. Some of the claws are a bit oversized and hence non-retractable, so they stick out permanently like the talons on a raptor. Nice.

Boston is historically known as a place where lots of polydactyl cats originated. Sailors always prederred keeping polydactyl cats because they are better at catching rodents. Since Boston was a main shipping port, lots of these sailors' cats found their way ashore and reproduced (the polydactyl trait is heritable). Interesting trivia fact...Ernest Hemingway loved polydactyl cats and bred many of them at his home. So much so that polydactyl cats are sometimes referred to as "Hemingway Cats."

It's funny. Ariel has a nightmare of sharp extra claws, completely black fur, and bright green eyes with a face that often looks devilishly sinister. People are often a bit afraid when they first see her. But she's the sweetest cat in the world...