Ernest Hemingway's six-toed cats are safe after writer's Florida estate was damaged by Hurricane Ian
KEY WEST, FLORIDA: All of the six-toed cats that roam Ernest Hemingway's estate in the Florida Keys are said to be safe despite Hurricane Ian's 155 mph winds. The famous estate where the great American author produced 70 per cent of his works was earlier hit by debris and only moderately damaged by wind. However, according to The Ernest Hemingway Home & Museum App, the building remains sound and the cats are doing well after being placed in protected cages as the Category 4 storm pounded the property on Tuesday, September 27, and Wednesday, September 28.
In a statement to Daily Mail, Alexa Morgan, a representative for the museum, said that the estate's crew is currently dealing with the hurricane's aftermath, including clearing away tree and leaf debris from the home's exterior. According to Alexa, the cats were safely protected on the property in advance of the storm, and a few staff members remained there to provide food and care for the animals. The museum was closed on Wednesday, September 28, and is already up and running on Thursday, September 29.
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The famous author’s granddaughter Mariel Hemingway spoke to The Daily Mail prior to the category 4 storm about her fears of the home being destroyed. Mariel, 60, told the Daily Mail, "If any of his houses were destroyed the pain and sorrow would be palpable. It would be upsetting if any of his houses were affected.” Meanwhile. regarding the numerous cats found on the Key West property, most of them are known to possess six toes.
According to the website of the museum, "About half of the cats at the museum have the physical polydactyl (six toes) 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. Snow White, a six-toed cat that a ship's captain gave to Hemingway, served as the foundation of the cat colony. "Some of the cats who live on the museum grounds are descendants of that original cat," the website added.
The museum also carries on the tradition of giving all of its cat's famous person names. Meanwhile, Spanish colonial design was used to construct the Hemingway house in 1851. The mansion was given to the author and his second wife, Pauline, by her uncle Gus in 1931. The home had extensive renovations in the early 1930s that transformed it into the national historical landmark that it is today. After divorcing in 1940, Hemingway moved to Cuba to live with Martha Gellhorn, his third wife. Up until his passing in 1961, he continued to stop by the house during the 1940s and 1950s.
