In Memory of Mr. Toes 12/1/2023 – 3/25/2026
He was a big personality…with even bigger paws!
Rescued from the streets in May 2025, his rescuers immediately fell in love, planning to keep him. They made plans to fix him and introduce them to their other cats, but never got the chance when he came back positive for both feline leukemia and FIV. They reached out to Shadow Cats, and we had room for this many-toed boy. Mr. Toes had the biggest personality, polydactyl on all four of his paws (26 toes!), a tiny head tilt, and was just an overall goofy guy. His rescuers continued to visit him after he came to Shadow Cats, too, and we loved to talk about all his antics together.
Mr. Toes was the most clumsy cat we had ever met; for all the extra toes he had, they didn’t help him gracefully navigate a cat tree. His extra toes must have come with an extra stomach, too, because that boy could EAT! He had such an appetite that we had to make sure to feed his wet food in bowls instead of our usual paper plates, since he would keep eating through them. He would meow so loudly at us during feeding time, you would think he had never had a meal in his life! He was known for trash can diving, breaking into cabinets, and jumping on counters to try to get just a single morsel of food. He had such a determined personality and wouldn’t let much stop him from doing as he pleased. He was truly a unique personality with all the love to give.
It did take Mr. Toes a while to find a place to fit in, as he didn’t really understand how to communicate well with the others, which led to a few misunderstandings… Thankfully, he finally found a place in our Cookie’s Kingdom room and found a best friend in Bear, who would follow him around like a little brother. He was also a ladies’ man with some of the more shy girls. He was the happiest cat, always looking for food or attention from anyone nearby. His meow was so loud and distinct you could hear it anywhere in the building. He was very talkative! It was always fun to talk to him and have him respond back in little raspy chirps. He also enjoyed his belly pats and loved to rub his face in our hair.
Even though he was dealt a hard hand with health challenges, he was incredibly resilient. He always put a smile on our faces, no matter what he was facing. He never gave up. He was loud, clumsy, and unbelievably easy to love right to the end.
We hoped we had more time with him, as we always do, to see him blossom even more. Unfortunately, as we’ve seen all too many times before, feline leukemia can rear its ugly head in unexpected ways. It started out as a bump on his nose and quickly grew. He saw the vet for testing, and it seemed like this might be the dreaded C word, cancer. Despite the tumor growing each day, he seemed completely unfazed by it all, still his happy self right to the very end. With having both leukemia and FIV, it was harder for his immune system to slow this down, and after a few weeks, one night the swelling just grew so much overnight that by morning, he was no longer the same Mr. Toes we knew and loved so much.
We promise every cat that comes to Shadow Cats that there will never be any suffering. We made the heartbreaking decision to give Mr. Toes our final gift, a gentle passing, cradled in loving arms and surrounded by all who adored him and cared for him every day.
Mr. Toes is now pain-free and no longer has to worry about feline leukemia. He gets to run and be his full goofy self with all the other Shadow Cats who left before him.
Thank you to his amazing rescuers Madyson & Preston, and to his sponsor Susan L. Thank you to the volunteers who always made time for him. Thank you to the dedicated staff who loved and cared for him. Thank you to Vista Vet for the incredible medical care Mr. Toes received. Thank you to all who loved Mr. Toes for his personality and his many toes.
We love you, Mr. Toes, and we always will.
Mr. Toes had 1 Sponsor
Susan Lederle