Why does Mickey Mouse have only 3 fingers & a thumb?

All cartoon characters have 3 fingers and a thumb. I think it is just easier to draw and when you add the 4th finger for some reason it always looks deformed on paper.

Mickey Fingers

"Leaving the finger off was a great asset artistically and financially. Artistically, five digits are too many for a mouse. His hands would look like a bunch of bananas. Financially, not having an extra finger in each of 45,000 drawings that make up a six-and-one-half-minute short has saved the studio millions. During WWII, Mickey even lost his tail as the result of an executive decision to save even more time and money. " - Walt, in one of his books. But my view is that maybe he just looked stupid with the actual number.

maybe some types of mice only have four fingers?

or he chewed off his fifth

never thought about it... interesting question

He's demented...that's why.