According to the Hemingwayhome.com site:
The Hemingway Home and Museum is home to approximately 40-50 polydactyl (six-toed) cats. Cats normally have five front toes and four back toes. About half of the cats at the museum have the physical polydactyl trait but they all carry the polydactyl gene in their DNA, which means that the ones that have 4 and 5 toes can still mother or father six-toed kittens. Most cats have extra toes on their front feet and sometimes on their back feet as well. Sometimes it looks as if they are wearing mittens because they appear to have a thumb on their paw.
Ernest Hemingway was given a white six-toed cat by a ship's captain and some of the cats who live on the museum grounds are descendants of that original cat, named Snow White. Key West is a small island and it is possible that many of the cats on the island are related.
And, Hemingway loved his cats. He liked naming them after famous people. So, below you can see the grave markers for Marilyn Monroe, Snow Shoes, Gremlin, John Wayne, Edgar Allen Poe, Betty Davis and many others!
It was very interesting walking around the grounds and seeing dozens of cats. Food and water are left out for them. And, they have round the clock vet care!
The Hemingway Home and Museum is home to approximately 40-50 polydactyl (six-toed) cats. Cats normally have five front toes and four back toes. About half of the cats at the museum have the physical polydactyl trait but they all carry the polydactyl gene in their DNA, which means that the ones that have 4 and 5 toes can still mother or father six-toed kittens. Most cats have extra toes on their front feet and sometimes on their back feet as well. Sometimes it looks as if they are wearing mittens because they appear to have a thumb on their paw.
Ernest Hemingway was given a white six-toed cat by a ship's captain and some of the cats who live on the museum grounds are descendants of that original cat, named Snow White. Key West is a small island and it is possible that many of the cats on the island are related.
And, Hemingway loved his cats. He liked naming them after famous people. So, below you can see the grave markers for Marilyn Monroe, Snow Shoes, Gremlin, John Wayne, Edgar Allen Poe, Betty Davis and many others!
It was very interesting walking around the grounds and seeing dozens of cats. Food and water are left out for them. And, they have round the clock vet care!
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