Key West was Ernest Hemingway’s home for a decade. I didn’t get round to visiting his house (now a museum) last year, but this time round, it was firmly on my list. My motivation was not so much the hunt for juicy insights on the illustrious, troubled writer and his seedy life, but to get my hands on the infamous six-toed kittehs.
Six-toedness springs from a genetic mutation, and cats with six toes are meant to bring good luck. For this reason, they were a popular choice for ships’ cats for centuries. Indeed, Hemingway was given his original six-toed cat, named Snowball, by a ship’s captain. The man was very accident-prone, probably because he was a war correspondent and pissed as a newt most of the time, and so he was always in search of good luck charms. He loved his lucky cats, and reportedly replied, when asked why his house was overrun by them, that “one cat lead to another”.
Today, there are 45 six-toed cats on the grounds of Hemingway’s house, all of them Snowball’s descendents.
Without further a do, here are some snaps of them:
The pampered creatures claim the best snoozing spots around the house, safely out of reach of the tourist hordes trampling through.
This doesn’t mean they don’t enjoy a good scratch behind the ears.
Sometimes they like to pose:
Sometimes they can’t be bothered to pay us any attention at all:
They get into skirmishes, as cats do:
And for all those who’ve slinked through the big cat flap in the sky, there’s a shady spot:
Ewwww, so gross. Sorry, cat lovers. I am not down with mutants, unless it’s Hugh Jackman in X-Men. The feline walk of fame is cute though 🙂
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This comment has gone into moderation. Indefinitely!
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Awww. I am sorry. I am mean bc there hasnt been enough cakes and beer. Speaking of which, you must try a cronut!
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I got some glorious food coming up tomorrow 🙂
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Ha, I like the ‘6-toed Godfather’ cat! 🙂 And Anna, a lot of people believe that Latvians have 6 toes, y’know… nothing wrong with that… 😉
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He was a right ol’ bruiser, that one!
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I like the photo of the cat sleeping on the bed. Most houses which are open to the public, and which can sometimes be just a little dull, would be improved by a cat on a bed.
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That cat looked soooo blissed out 😉
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Fascinating! I must make it there one day, just for a scratch behind the ears.
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Totally worth it 🙂
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My favorite kind of history: a great story + mutant animals!
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Glad to hear it 🙂
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Lovely mogs – was the gigantic ginger cat Marmalade there?
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There was one of those!!!
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Great post. I didn’t know they brought good luck. What precious faces. And I really like the one with the rust, black, and white fur.
Did you see Hemingway’s sister ship in Islamorada? It’s very pretty.
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No, I missed that!
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Ah… You are back in España? Next time…
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No, sigo en los cayos… hasta el día 2.
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If you have time to take a ride to Islamorada, google it. It’s not far from Key West. They let you on the “boat”, which I thought was cool.
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Now that’s a place I wouldn’t mind hanging around… too bad you can’t sprawl on the cosy bed, sip various beverages, write and scratch the svelte and sundry furry ones all day!? Pretty please? I’d be inspired to write a “GREAT NOVEL”! 😉
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They won’t let you crawl into that bed… but once you’ve paid your admission, you can stay as long as you like and accost the kitties. Well, at least until closing time 😉
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I’d be one of those annoying people that need to be kicked up – so caught up with kitten accosting activities!
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Same here 🙂
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An extra toe just means there’s more cat to love…so cute!
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Cute post and cute kitties. What’s with the (gosh I don’t even know what it’s called) black and white thingy on the kitty grave stone?
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I’ve no idea!
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But you know what I’m talkin bout right? 😉
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Yes, yes! Looks like a place holder… I failed to examine it more closely while I was standing right in front of it.
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No, it’s that thingy, you have to have an iPhone to use and you scan it … after I have no idea what happens. Hell, I don’t even have a cellphone. Are we on the same page now or do I have to stop drinking in the afternoon? 😉
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What, like a bar code…?
Now I’m totally lost 😉
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OMG! Yes, that bar code thingy. It’s there or I’m seeing things.
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Surely TWO ctas lead to another…?
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Unless the one cat that arrives is already up the duff….
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Talk about spoiled cats. They get to sleep on his bed! Not that I want to sleep on his bed, mind you, but you knew that. I haven’t been yet, but it’s on my list of places I want to see.
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That bed looks mighty comfy, and he is dead… so go for it 😉
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Awww, Papa’s kitties are one of my favorite things. It makes me happy just to know they are still there 😉
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They are, and thriving 🙂
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I think they are rather cute with their big paws 🙂
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But think of their augmented sofa-shredding powers!
Did you ever see the post featuring my friend’s sexy cat Leo?? lol
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How did I miss this post? All the kitties are fabulous. How appropriate that they have a space of honor. Loved the one lying in the middle of the bed.
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Ah, I see you found them 🙂 I was so tempted to join the snoozing bruiser, but that nasty keep-out cord was in the way!
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