Sherry, I just posted several links to your question in h+b.  Vickie Spier
was from Marshall, Texas.  Still, your cat may or may not be a descandant --  
but I am guessing that there is no relationship.  There have been numerous
similar mutations or developmental problems that have been reported over a
period of many years.  The furor in this case was caused because she then
proceeded to deliberately breed for the deformity -- which she said was
"cute" and claimed that she was not "breeding" but was simply "reproducing a
favorite pet."

I had a friend who adopted a cat some years ago that had a similar
deformity.  This cat also came from a breeder and would "hop" much like a
rabbit.  The breeder was going to destroy the cat because of the deformity.
My friend -- who did not have any other purebred cats but who always adopted
special needs cats -- talked the breeder into letting them have the cat,
with the proviso that it would be spayed (as they always did anyway).
That's the good part of the story.  The outrageous part is that the breeder
made them *pay* for the cat -- but gave them a "special price" by only
requiring half the normal fee.  And this was for a cat that would otherwise
have been euthanized (by the breeder) and that required special care for the
rest of his life.

MaryL

Polydactyl cats I think you mean

Radial hypoplasia is at the opposite end of the spectrum to
polydactyl, a polydactyl cat has extra toes, a cat with radial
hypoplasia would have less toes than normal and those often deformed.
Basically when a kitten (or a Human it's the same principal) is an
embryo the radius is made first and then the radial side of the ankle/
foot/paw follows it's a sequence in which if the bone doesn't form
then the rest doesn't follow

In Humans the radial side is little, ring and middle fingers with the
index finger being between both radius and ulnar so that some radial
hypoplasia hands are just missing a thumb and some have also lost the
index finger

Lesley

Slave of the Fabulous Furballs