Last Updated on 5 January 2026 by Vanessa
The Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum in Key West, Florida, is home to 45 (!) cats with a shocking genetic quirk. Discover the story behind these six-toed polydactyl felines and why they’ve captured the world by storm.
This is a guest post by Jessica Norah from Independent Travel Cats
Ernest Hemingway Home, Key West: the legacy of his six-toed cats
I have been fortunate to be able to travel frequently as a travel writer, and I love seeing cats in all the places I visit. One of the most memorable places so far has been my visit to The Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum in Key West.
In fact, the only place I definitely wanted to visit on my trip to the Florida Keys was Hemingway’s house. Partially because I enjoy the author’s work, but mainly because the property is home to about 45 cats!
The Spanish Colonial house was Hemingway’s home in the 1930’s and 1940’s and has since been made into a museum.
We were able to take an interesting guided tour of the inside of the house and Hemingway’s studio, and then explore the gardens on our own.
Throughout the house and gardens, you’ll find cats perched here and there. During our tour, one of the cats followed the guide around and jumped around on the furniture and another was sleeping on one of the beds.
While the allure of the celebrated 20th-century American writer draws many of the visitors, a large number of people seem to come simply to see the cats.
Why does The Hemingway Home have six-toed cats (polydactyl cats)?
Outside, we spent more one-on-one time with sleepy cats. Some were perched on benches, while others wandered through the flowers.
These cats descend from Hemingway’s own cat, Snow White—or Snowball, depending on the source.
Snow White was a white house cat with six toes. The story goes that a sea captain gave the cat to Hemingway and that cats with six toes were believed to be particularly lucky aboard ships.
Normal cats have five toes on their front paws and four on their back paws. But Polydactyl cats have six toes on their front paws and sometimes extra toes on their back paws as well. While only about half of the cats at the Hemingway home have six toes, they are all believed to carry the polydactyl gene.
Six toes or five, these cats were all beautiful to watch.
Names of the cats at The Hemingway Home
Hemingway named his cats after famous people. That tradition is carried on today at the Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum, with the cats either carrying names of famous people (e.g., Clark Gable, Joe DiMaggio, Rudolph Valentino) or of the Hemingway family members (e.g., Martha Gellhorn, Bumby).
Cat health issues
We were a little concerned about the care of so many cats, but our guide told us that the feline residents of The Hemingway Home are well looked after with regular screening and treatments. For example, they get regular ear mite treatments, flea spraying, and worming by a veterinarian who comes to the house.
The Pfizer Company has also donated medicine to the museum to be used to protect the cats from fleas, heartworms, and other parasites.
The cats also have quiet areas where they can retreat from visitors whenever they want.
The cats we saw certainly looked very content and healthy.
Address and how to get there
The address of the Hemingway Home and Museum in Key West is 907 Whitehead Street, Key West, FL 33040, United States.
To get there, you can follow these directions:
- If you’re driving from Miami, take US-1 South and continue onto N Roosevelt Blvd/US-1 S. Follow the signs for Key West.
- Once you reach Key West, continue straight onto Truman Avenue. Turn right onto Whitehead Street, and you’ll find the museum on the left.
Opening hours
The Hemingway Home and Museum is open daily from 09:00 am to 05:00 pm, including holidays.
Please note that the museum may have modified hours during special events or holidays, so it’s always a good idea to check their official website or contact them directly for the most up-to-date information.
Tickets
The general admission ticket for adults (only available at the main gate) is around $19, while children (ages 6-12) have a reduced rate of $7. Children under the age of six are admitted for free. Additionally, the museum offers discounted rates for seniors, students, and active military personnel.
These rates include a 20-30 minutes guided tour!
No reservations are required.
To maximize your time on the island of Key West, I recommend you book a four-hour-long All-In-One Adventure, which includes a guided tour of The Hemingway Home and Museum as well as visits to the author’s favorite haunts, several food tastings, and cocktails.
Conclusion
We visited on a wonderful sunny day and enjoyed both the house tour and the gardens, and especially meeting the house’s feline guardians!
We definitely recommend a visit here if you’re in Key West, Florida.
Jessica Norah is a full-time travel blogger at Independent Travel Cats. She currently lives in Edinburgh, Scotland, with her husband Laurence.
Sadly, she had to leave her own two cats (Dodger and Dash) in the United States when she moved to the United Kingdom, but she goes back to visit them as much as she can, and adopts kitty friends throughout her travels around the world.
Pin these cats of The Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum!
One Response
Thank You for your lovely Traveling Cats website pictures. It really brightens up my day !