Meet the Wisconsin Maine Coon kitten with world record

A kitten from Wisconsin has broken the Guinness World Record for the most toes on a cat after it was born with 29 appendages.

The kitten, named Erebus Anomaly, overcame a serious case of pneumonia and a nearly fatal aspiration event shortly after he was born, but gained attention for the extra digits Monday after his story aired on ABC’s World News Now.

Most cats have 18 toes, but Erebus was born with a genetic condition that causes more than the usual amount to develop, making him a polydactyl cat. The trait is relatively common in Erebus’s Maine Coon species, according to a 2016 article in the journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery.

The congenital condition causes no harm or damage to the felines, according to the study, nor is it exclusive to cats. It has been reported in many species, including humans, mice, dogs, horses, cattle, goats, sheep, springboks and birds and can appear on extremities belonging to a single limb or any number of limbs.

Erebus’s dad was born with six toes on each paw, for a total of 24, according to ABC World News. Cats are typically born with five toes on each forepaw and four on their hindpaws.

Erebus, who was born in March, outscored his dad on the toe front, with eight on one paw and seven on the rest, and is taking his new world record holder status in stride.

Erebus beat the previous world record by one toe, knocking a Canadian cat named Jake off the top spot, who had held the title since 2002, which was tied in June by a Michigan cat named Toby Henderson.

Jake died in 2022; his owner remained active on Jake’s Facebook page until 2024, sharing updates and pictures of him.

Jake’s successor lives in Kaukauna, Wisc., at Blue Northern Maine Coones, a cat breeder owned by Kendra Vandenbloomer and Hunter Nett, who raise the felines in their home, according to their website, before they are put up for adoption.

The couple told local news outlet WFRV that they noticed they may have a world record holder in the newborn kitten, so they got to work counting his fingers and toes. Sure enough, they were right.

According to the Guinness World Records website, Erebus was formally recognized as the cat with the most toes on May 29.

“The most toes on a cat is 29 and was achieved by Erebus (USA) in Kaukauna, Wisconsin, USA, as measured on 13 May 2026,” the website says.

“Erebus, owned by Kendra Vandenbloomer and Hunter Nett, achieved this long standing Guinness World Records title that had previously stood at 28 since 2002,” the notice added.

The Maine Coon is a natural breed originating in North America, specifically the state of Maine, according to the study.

The generally accepted history is that the breed originated from local domestic shorthair cats crossed with long-haired cats brought from overseas by 19th-century seafarers, some of which were polydactyl and were valued as good luck charms by sea captains, the study also notes.

Genetic surveys dating back to the 1970s show a high frequency of polydactyly in cats from coastal cities such as Halifax, Philadelphia and Boston.