If you ask me, being different is a good thing. And we all have our differences—even cats. Being different from others is what makes us unique. And, if you ask me, I think when a cat is different from the norm it makes them standout and shine. For Sansa, she is different. But, oh, how lovely she is. With dazzling heterochromia eyes, 21 toes in all, and a glossy white coat, she looks like a unique little angel kitty that you can’t help but admire. But you see, she was cast aside by the only family she’d ever known because they couldn’t see her beauty. But thankfully for little Sansa, all it took was a kind women to read the words of her plight without even taking a look at her to know she needed to belong to her—forever.
Everyone, meet Sansa the Polydactyl Cat—a true gem of a kitty who deserves all the love she gets!
Sansa is a special needs cat, and many people are wary of adopting kitties with special needs for fear of not knowing how to care of them. Caring for any cat is a responsibility, but a special needs cat shouldn’t deter adopters. Hopefully Sansa’s story can inspire others to take more chances on cats that need just a little more care than others. I caught up with Sansa’s owner with some questions I had for her about her lovely kitty cat, so keep reading to learn more about this angelic feline.
1. How did you meet Sansa?
I met Sansa at an adoption event at a Petco in Manhattan in July 2016. My husband and I had actually gone to the event to meet a different cat that we had seen on PetFinder, but when we got there, my eyes were immediately drawn to a cage that I thought was empty. There was a handwritten sign on the cage explaining that the cat inside suffered from anxiety and was “going through heartbreak from being abandoned by the only family she had ever known”. I knew I wanted her as soon as I read the sign. When I told the volunteer I was interested in that cat, she opened the cage and lifted up a cat bed to reveal Sansa (then called Snow), who was hiding underneath! I was so surprised to see that she was all white, with different colored eyes and extra toes!
2. How old was she when she came to live with you, and how old is she now?
Sansa was 1.5 years old when we adopted her. She is currently 5 years old, and will turn 6 on Dec 1 (her guesstimated birthday since she had no records)!
3. What is her personality like?
She is the epitome of sugar, spice and everything nice! She is extremely smart, sweet, and loving with a mischievous streak. (E.g. to wake us up each morning, she knocks things off our nightstand one by one and waits to see if we’ll wake up. If we don’t, she knocks more and more things off!) She is also mellow and gentle. She still has anxiety and is easily scared so things like fireworks, lightning, thunder, unexpected loud sounds, dogs barking etc. cause her to slink away and hide in corners.
4. How does her Feline Hyperesthesia (AKA Twitchy Cat Disease) affect her daily life?
Her hyperesthesia used to be much worse and negatively affect her quality of life. Multiple times a day, she would be sitting normally, and all of a sudden experience episodes of “back rolling” which cause her to try to attack her tail. Episodes would last over 5 minutes per episode. Her episodes are now under control with hemp oil and she only experiences episodes about 1-2 times a week for about 30 seconds each. When she does experience episodes, I try to distract her with toys so that she doesn’t attack her tail but there’s really no way to stop the back rolling. Thankfully her episodes are really mild now so it does not affect her daily life much.
5. How many toes does Miss Sansa have total?
Sansa has 21 toes! 6 on each front paw, 5 on her left hind paw and the normal 4 on her right hind paw.
6. What’s something special you’d like people to know about her?
Sansa had a rough start to life which caused her to be extremely fearful by the time she was at the shelter. We never thought she would ever come out of her shell and become the loving lap cat that she is right now. She has overcome so much over the past few years and I want people to know that all cats deserve a chance for the same. Don’t overlook the shy, anxious cats at the shelter because with lots of patience and TLC, they are capable of giving out SO much love. I hope that Sansa’s story will be able to encourage more people to give the “less adoptable”, special needs cats a chance.
I’d like to give a special “thank you” to Karen for allowing me to share Sansa’s story and images with you all. Like her, I hope that this story can inspire others to take a chance on cats deemed less adoptable. Because oftentimes, they have the most love to give and will reward you with a bond that can make your heart feel so full. Don’t forget to keep up with Sansa’s daily adorableness here on Instagram!
All Images Courtesy of Sansa the Polydactyl Cat on Instagram
