Listing Sources re polydactyl cats

RE your "mailbag" article on polydactyl cats the researcher listed ( SDSTAFF Jill ) apparently lifted some data and some close to verbatium statements without attribution from the below listed website. A note about sourcing might have been appropriate, at least the website lists a bibliography. As careful as you normally are to be precise about sourcing this was surprising.

Examples:


Straight Dope

I should add that there is apparently a polydactyl dog as well, the Lunehund. It's a spitz type dog that's been around since the 15th century, used by Norwegian fishermen to catch puffins. The dogs have six toes and are said to be able to climb cliffs to reach the birds' nests. Hey, that was on the Internet. It must be true.

Maine Coon Polydactyls, Our American Mitten Pawed Cat - http://w3.one.net/~furkats/polart.htm

There is a pedigreed breed of dogs called the Lunehund that is a polydactyl. This breed is a spitz type dog that has been known from the 15th century. The fishermaen on the coast of Norway used the dogs to catch puffins. These penguin sized birds nest in tunnel in the rocky clifts. The 6 toed dogs were able to climb the rocky cliffs and were more adapt at digging in the tunnels. Another link to Lundhund


Straight Dope

President Theodore Roosevelt had a poly named Slippers, who was one of the first feline residents in the White House. Ernest Hemingway was given a polydactyl Maine Coon Cat when he lived in Key West, Florida by one of his drinking buddies, a sea captain named Stanley Dexter. There are many polys--descendants of Papa's--at his estate in Key West, which is open to the public.

Maine Coon Polydactyls, Our American Mitten Pawed Cat - http://w3.one.net/~furkats/polart.htm

There have been many famous polys. Our President Theodore Roosevelt had a poly named Slippers. Slippers was one of the first feline residents of the White House. At press conferences and official functions, Slippers was often the center of attention. The author Ernest Hemingway had a Maine Coon poly who was named Snowball. He reportedly had 6 toes on his front paws. The author had an estate on the island of Key West in the Florida Keys. One story sited that Snowball was a gift from one of Hemingway's drinking buddies who was a sea captain named Stanley Dexter. Another chronicle claims that a sea captain gave Hemingway a female double pawed cat who was named Princess. Sailors believed six-toed cats were lucky. Cats arrived on Key West in the early 19th century in the company of sailors looking for sunken treasure

You're right that the dog paragraph - though paraphrased slightly - did come from that website, including the misspelling of the name, "Lundehund" (lunde = puffin). I'm going to change that paragraph completely and add a couple other points. I agree that I should have listed the source site, instead of just saying "the internet."

The other parts - about Roosevelt and Hemingway - I found in a number of websites and articles about polydactyls, and was not "lifted" from that site. I'm sorry it appeared too similar, and I agree that the site you mentioned should be added as a source of further information on polydactyl cats. I will ask the editor to make those changes. Thanks.
Jill