As one of the great American novelists, Ernest Hemingway is known for works such as For Whom the Bell Tolls, The Sun Also Rises, and The Old Man and the Sea. Yet he also left another legacy that has nothing to do with literature: so-called Hemingway cats. Hemingway owned a polydactyl cat named Snow White, and dozens of six-toed cats still reside at the Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum in Key West, Florida, where he lived throughout the 1930s.
Most felines are born with 18 toes: five on each foot in the front and four on each foot in the back. When cats are born with more toes than normal on at least one of their paws, they are called “polydactyl.” A genetic mutation causes polydactyly, which can appear in any cat breed. Except for occasional nail problems, cats with extra toes suffer few harmful effects and often have enhanced balance, hunting, and climbing abilities.
Ernest Hemingway became fond of six-toed cats after a ship's captain gave him a white polydactyl kitten in 1935. The author named Snow White’s offspring after famous people, a tradition that continues today among the cats that freely roam the grounds of the author’s historic house. Notably named residents include Jackie O, Humphrey Bogart, Celia Cruz, Howard Hughes, Teddy Roosevelt, Amelia Earhart, and Lucille Ball.
According to museum staff, some, though not all, of the Hemingway Home’s polydactyl cats are Snow White’s direct descendants. Around 70% of the cats have additional toes, though they all have the polydactyl gene and can pass it on to future generations.
For some visitors to the museum, the cats are a greater draw than the opportunity to learn about Hemingway himself. There is even a cemetery with miniature tombstones for beloved felines who have passed away. You can learn more about the cats by downloading the Hemingway Cats smartphone app.
How many toes?!
- Polydactyl cats are especially prevalent in the northeastern United States, Halifax, and parts of England and Wales. Some researchers believe that the English Puritans may have brought polydactyl cats on their ships to Boston in the 1600s. It is theorized that the offspring of those felines may have then traveled aboard ships from Boston to Halifax.
- Polydactyl cats were considered lucky by sailors who thought their added toes provided extra balance to ships in rough seas. They were also said to be better at hunting mice than cats with the normal amount of toes.
- Guinness World Records has recognized two felines, Jake and Paws, as having the most toes on a cat, with 28 each.