Cats living in luxury..Ernest Hemingway home

[yellowdogintexas]

check out the feet, especially











and this guy, who we met on the way to Hemingway's house, which only goes to show that they really are laid back in the Keys:

[fleabert]

1. I read somewhere that it's not a Hemingway cat unless it has

six toes, these cats bear that theory well!

[yellowdogintexas]

2. about 60 % of the cats in residence at the house were multitoed

at the time we visited. All are descended from his cats, and he collected multitoed cats; they were his favorites. When a litter produces a multitoed cat, they leave it whole for a couple of years, to keep the line going. Most of the cats are neutered eventually.
Visiting this home is lots of fun, the docents are all older gay guys who just love to talk about the cats and the house, and they are hilarious.

There is a little cemetery on the grounds for all the cats, a big swimming pool, and this unbelievably wild looking spanish tiled urinal which EH and one of his buddies stole from a bar and laid it on its side near the pool to be the cats' drinking fountain. It has a little hydrant over it that keeps a fresh stream of water in it. I thought I had a photo of it, but could not find it.

I have a 6 toe myself, looks a lot like the one sitting on the pillows in the big bed.

Oh yeah, all the cats are named after famous people, mostly literary and acting folks. Mark Twain, Orson Welles, Marilyn Monroe, William Faulkner, etc.

If I ever find those other photos, I will post them, looks like I may be missing a roll from this trip.

[fleabert]

4. can't wait till you find it! thanks! n/t

[Robeson]

3. Thats a great post...

...thanks so much for sharing. Those poor kitties just need to quit being so stressed out!!

[yellowdogintexas]

5. LOL I have never seen such laid back cats in my life.

They are so accustomed to strangers, they will just sit there and let you pet them, rub your ankles, etc.

There were 68 cats in residence supposedly when we visited the house.
They are essentially walled in, but the occasional interloper does get in and visit the unspayed ladies, and some of them take up residence.
The staff does their best to keep the bloodlines going, so they can continue to say the cats are descended from Hemingway's cats.

It was a very pleasant way to spend an afternoon..we couldn't go snorkeling that day because it was too rough due to big storm the night before, so we got a cat fix.