A Cat With 29 Toes Makes Guinness History—As If Ordinary Claws Were Not Enough
Illustrative paw of another cat, not Erebus.
If this cat leaves a paw print, he may need a little extra room. Meet Erebus, whose record begins not with an astonishing jump or a trained trick, but with someone counting his toes.
29 toes and a number worth checking twice
Guinness lists Erebus as having 29 toes, measured in Kaukauna, Wisconsin, on 13 May 2026. His owners are Kendra Vandenbloomer and Hunter Nett. The record page says he surpassed a total of 28 that had stood since 2002. Read the official Guinness record.
No training montage required
Some records demand coaches, schedules and repeated attempts. The charm of this one is a small detail of an animal’s appearance, rather than a performance staged for a camera.
The winning margin is just one toe. In a record defined by counting, that matters. It does not, however, tell us that Erebus is faster, smarter or better at opening a food tin. Those would be entertaining inventions, not findings supported by this story.
Do not give the wrong cat the credit
A photograph of an unusual paw does not establish the animal’s identity. Our cover is an illustrative photograph of another polydactyl cat’s paw, not Erebus. Follow the Guinness link to see the actual record holder. We would rather not award his moment of fame to a cat who never entered.
Photo: Broly0, via Wikimedia Commons, licensed CC0.
A surprising story—not breaking news today
The measurement dates to May 2026. We are sharing it because it deserves a smile, not claiming it happened this morning. Guinness also warns that published records may take time to update. Our account therefore refers to its record page, checked on 3 October 2026.
Dajran asks: Would you notice the extra toes, or simply see the face and declare: “Cute cat. Case closed”?