Cat With 26 Toes Helps Shelter Raise Money
An animal center in Milwaukee is using the rarity of a once unwanted cat with 26 toes to raise funds.
The Milwaukee Animal Rescue Center is trying to raise money to relocate to a new building, and Daniel, the orange and white tabby, just may be their lucky ticket.
Daniel has a rare genetic mutation called polydactylism, giving him two extra toes on each foot, for a total of 26 toes. Normal cats have 18 toes.
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Officials at the animal center found out their rent would be doubled starting Jan. 1. The shelter is asking for donations of $26 dollars, $1 per toe to buy a new building.
"I've always been a firm believer that everything happens for a reason and this is definitely the case," Amy Rowell, owner of Milwaukee Animal Rescue Center in Greendale, said in a statement.
Rowell found Daniel at animal control in October. Rowell was smitten with the cat from the very beginning:
"He was very clearly saying, 'I need to be rescued, I'd like to be your friend, please pay attention to me,'" Rowell said, according to AP. "And when a sign is that obvious, we tend to not ignore it."
The Milwaukee Animal Rescue Center is home to animals that would otherwise be euthanized.
In a statement to The Christian Post, Rowell said: "Daniel has been a huge asset in helping the center raise money. Last month, we raised close to $50,000, which is what we were hoping for a down payment on the property."
