Cat Facts

April 30, 2026

P is for …

compiled by Nancy Kerr

*The Pallas’s cat is rarely seen in the wild because of its solitary nature.*

Pallas’s Cat (Otocolobus manul), also called “manul” in the Mongolian language, is a small solitary wild cat with long and dense light grey fur, long bushy tail, and rounded ears set low on the sides of the head. While it is about the size of a domestic cat, its stocky posture with the long and dense fur make it appear stout and plush. It is well-camouflaged and adapted to the cold continental climate in its native range from the Caucasus eastward to Central Asia, Mongolia, adjacent parts of the Dzungarian mountain range in Kazakhstan (on the border with China), and the Tibetan Plateau. It finds shelter in rock crevices and burrows, and preys mostly on lagomorphs and rodents. The female gives birth to between two and six kittens in spring.

Pelger-Huët anomaly (PHA) is a genetic white blood cell disorder that sometimes affects the bone structure of cats. It is a rare condition characterized by a unique appearance of the bone cells. This has been observed in a variety of cats, including domestic shorthair cats, Siamese cats, and British Shorthair cats. This can lead to a number of health problems in those affected, including joint problems and mobility issues. The risk of this disease being handed down from one generation to the next can be increased by inbreeding and close line breeding. Genetic testing is available to detect whether a cat carries the defective gene, which has been identified as the mutation causing the anomaly.

Polydactyly is a congenital physical anomaly also known as polydactylism or hyperdactyly, which causes a cat to be born with more than the usual number of toes on one or more of its paws. While normal cats have a total of 18 toes (five toes on each front paw, and four toes on each hind paw), polydactyl cats may have as many as nine digits on their front or hind paws. Cats with this inherited trait are most commonly found along the East Coast of North America (in the United States and Canada) and in southwest England and Wales.

Placenta is a vital organ that develops in a female cat during pregnancy to provide nutrients and oxygen to each developing kitten. Placentas are attached to the wall of the uterus and connect to the kittens via their umbilical cords. The appearance a placenta can vary depending on the stage of pregnancy and the health of the mother cat. In general, it is a flat, disc-shaped organ with a shiny, reddish-brown color, covered in blood vessels that help transport nutrients and oxygen to the kittens.

Perineal Urethrostomy (also referred to as PU) is a surgical procedure done on male cats to create a new urinary opening. This is to alleviate urinary obstructions and to help reduce the risk of recurrence. For more information check out: https://cfa.org/cat-talk/perineal-urethrostomy

Nancy Kerr

Nancy Kerr has been involved with CFA since 1999, working with Norwegian Forest Cats since 2005, and contributing writer and copy editor for Cat Talk since 2019. For her Cat Talk articles, she has won multiple Certificates of Excellence awards and a Muse award in the annual Cat Writers’ Association contest. When she is not writing or hanging out with her Wegies, she works as a university network administrator.