" Which normally leads to his food bowl ( empty ) but often enough it ' s something that I ' m glad to know about ," Paul said . Cats ' ability to train us , humans , is extraordinary , and Skatty is putting his innate talent to purrfect use .
He is not only smart , but quite dexterous . This fluffy Maine Coon was born with a pair of thumbs and extra toes .
" The old time sailors believed that the big polydactyl paws gave them a better grip on the deck and also made them better mousers .
" So for me , as a sailor , it is very satisfying to have a polydactyl cat ," Paul said . Skatty likes to follow his human wherever he goes .
" Generally , if I ' m below , he ' ll be below and if I ' m on deck he will usually come up as well ," Thompson says .
" At night he normally sleeps with me , curled up in the crook of my knee ."
Paul takes Skatty with him on every adventure . The beautiful ginger cat has made his life complete . Together the duo make an impeccable team at sea .
After having been on the ocean for quite some time , Skatty has earned his stripes as a marine cat . " His big ambition is to catch a seagull … but so far no luck ."
" Skatty wants to know about everything and , in satisfying his curiosity , I learn to see things in a new light or from a different perspective .
" The love of a cat is a very special and precious thing "
25