The Hemingway House in Key West, Florida is one of the more popular spots on the tiny island at the southernmost tip of the continental United States. Literary genius Ernest Hemingway called Key West his home for nearly a decade, and some of his most popular works were written at his home on the island, with his collection of six toed cats just nearby.
Six Toed Cat sign just near the Hemingway House
The Hemingway cats are a curious part of authors story because he had a particular affinity for unique cats, calico, black, striped, or tabby…it didn’t matter as long as the cat had six toes! This is a normal abnormality in cats, one that occurs in nature as a genetic anomaly that only crops up every once in a while because it is so rare. But for Hemingway, he cultivated a huge collection of these cats that were free to roam the grounds of his estate and procreate.
And though Hemingway has not lived on the island for decades (and did in fact pass away), visitors to his house, which has now been turned into a museum of his life and his works, are still able to see descendants from Hemingway’s original six-toed cats that filled his property. Now, all cats are welcome, to be sure, but the fact is, once Hemingway collected enough of the cats with this specific genetic anomaly it is now quite common for the cats at the Hemingway House museum.
The Hemingway House and surrounding property
When you’re visiting the Hemingway House, I highly recommend a guided tour of the grounds because the guides are able to provide some fun insight and knowledge about the author’s life that you can’t understand just from wandering the property! And as an extra bonus, the guides will always point out the passing cats and it’s nearly assured that you’ll spot at least one with an extra toes— the six toed cats have the majority right now!