A story about Ernest Hemingway could easily include subtitles about his books, his children, his wives, his travels, his cats…
Wait a minute! Cats? Hemingway’s cats?
That’s right. Papa had cats – and heaps of them. Unexpected? Perhaps at first. But when you think about it, wasn’t Hemingway a bit like a cat himself? Independent, self-absorbed, charming. He roamed around, came and went as he pleased…
When Hemingway lived in Key West, he was given a cat, Snowball, by a ship’s captain. Soon he had a house full. As he so eloquently put it:
One cat just leads to another.
That might sound a bit resigned. But I get the feeling he loved, even admired, the lovely little fur balls. Another famous Hemingway quote:
A cat has absolute emotional honesty: human beings, for one reason or another, may hide their feelings, but a cat does not.
Ernest with cats and kids in Finca Vigia, Cuba – image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
The Hemingway House
50 years after his death, 40 – 50 cats still roam his house in Key West, Florida. Some are descendants of Snowball.
The Hemingway Home on Whitehead Street in Old Town, Key West
The Hemingway cats are not just any cats. Oh no, these are mitten cats – or more scientifically, polydactyls, six-toed cats. As you can see from the photos below, they’re not one particular breed. The sixth toe is simply a genetic mutation, quite common on the east coast of North America.
Pauline’s pool
Aside from the cats, the house comes with plenty of interesting stories of the temperamental philanderer.
Our guide (a Hemingway look-alike, naturally) points to a penny in the ground.
During his Key West years, Hemingway was away much of the time, covering the Spanish Civil War – and Martha Gellhorn. His wife Pauline, tired of Ernest gallivanting about in war zones with his girl-friend, got this sweet revenge:
In Hemingway’s day, a swimming pool was an extraordinary luxury and this was the only one within a 100-mile radius. No wonder; in 1938, this cost 20 000 dollars. In comparison, the house itself cost 8 000 dollars.
Why so expensive? At the time, there was no fresh running water in Key West. The builders had to drill through solid coral down to salt water, then set up a pump to fill the pool. A daunting task, no doubt.
Ernest was none too pleased about the expenses. One day, he flung a penny onto the patio, saying:
Pauline, you’ve spent all but my last penny, so you might as well have that!
Pauline, in turn, had the penny embedded in cement for eternity.
As I wander around the pool and the pretty garden, it’s easy to picture the scene. But is it a true story? We can only guess. Soon after, Pauline and Ernest were divorced and he married Martha.
Are you an avid Hemingway fan? Have you been in Key West?
Want more photos? Have a look at Spring time in Korea and other great takes over at Budget Travelers Sandbox.
“One cat just leads to another” LOL That’s what my huskies are always yapping about !
Terrific post !
Haha! Huskies, eh? They probably think ‘dinner’ when they see cats.
I’m not a huge cat person, but even some of these cats are cute! I think I like the pool better than the cats! haha
jade recently posted..29 Palms & Joshua Tree National Park
I’m with Jade! That many cats kinda creeps me out!
Raymond @ Man On The Lam recently posted..The Other Rat Race: Rat Hunting (and Rat Eating) in Indonesia
Same here. I was wondering whether the house smells of cat. ewwww!
Ana (Ana Travels) recently posted..Dallas for culture vultures
At least the cats stay out of the pool.
I’ve learned something new today. Thanks, Sophie.
Those cats are just adorable.
InsideJourneys recently posted..#TPT Seaford Town, Connecting Jamaica to Germany
Yeah, I like cats, too. Easy pets. Though one or two is quite enough.
The The Hemingway House is what i really like and I love the photos you have provided here too…Thanks Sophie because I have learn a lot from this…
Glad you enjoyed it
So cute, I love cats (^_^)
Muza-chan recently posted..A Japanese Song per Day: FictionJunction – Stone cold
Me too, Muza
As a huge cat lover, this makes me love Hemmingway even more.
Laurel recently posted..Silent Snake at Big Cypress National Preserve, Florida
It’s certainly an interesting, and slightly unexpected, side of him, isn’t it…
Just lost my cat after 19 years and all these animals make it quite sentimental:)
ItalianNotes recently posted..Veneto for wine lovers
So sorry; Mette! Our cat died over a year ago. We still miss her.
she was one clever woman….
Denise recently posted..Becoming Hanoi, losing myself
that she was…
I love this story about Hemingway! Good for Pauline. . . way to go. I haven’t been to Key West but if I ever make it it would be do to Flipper and not Hemingway
Debbie Beardsley @ European Travelista recently posted..My Home Looks Like the Hofburg!
Didn’t see Flipper, but there was a nice aquarium there.
This was a fun read. I’ve only read one of Hemingway’s books and have never been to Key West. His house definitely sounds like it’s worth a visit should I get there.
There must have to be a full time kitty litter caretaker. At least the cats are cute.
Leigh recently posted..Book Review: Hypertravel – 100 Countries in 2 Years
Yes, I think it was a highlight of our brief stop in Key West. At least my kids thought so.
How cute these little puff balls are
When I toured Charles Dickens’ house in London, there was a white cat on a bed. I thought it might be stuffed, a remnant of Dickens’ life. But then it moved. Perhaps it was a descendant of a Dickens’ cat…
Sabina recently posted..Welcome to My Mountain
Ooh, I didn’t know one could see Dickens’ House. The cat sounds like a bonus, too. Def next time in London! Thanks!
Yes, I am a proud Hemingway fan! But I never knew that Papa had cats. I’d love to see his place in Key West. I have been to his birthplace in Oak Park, Illinois. They have a nice little museum there, too.
Cathy Sweeney recently posted..Chilly Scenes of Niagara Falls
I’m not really a huge fan of his books. Nobel Prize or not, his style is too macho for my liking. I think his life was rather more fascinating, though. Michael Palin did a series once, where he followed the Hemingway trail around the world. Very interesting.
It’s all beautiful, kitty, the house and the pool.. Love it!
Beautiful cats! I would have gotten along great with Hemingway!
Nancie recently posted..Travel Photo Thursday — March 15, 2012 — Springtime in Korea — A Photo Sampler
I think I would, too. Just so long as I wouldn’t have to be his wife…
I haven’t been to Key West, but I’m a Hemingway fan and loved this post. I want to dive into that swimming pool right now!
Andi at The Particular Traveler recently posted..My Favorite Airport
Nice year-round temperature for a swim, too
Interesting bit of Hemingway history!
Dick Jordan recently posted..Travel Photo Thursday: There’s A Pattern to My Madness
Thanks, Dick
I have not been to Key West. This looks like a beautiful palce to visit. I could look at cats all day– I just adore them. Nice photo of Hemingway in Cuba that you included.
Yeah, it’s impossible to feel stressed with a cat around, isn’t it…
Fun story for those of us who need to hear it to remind us of the great writers of the times
Eileen Ludwig recently posted..Cherry Blossoms Washington DC Jefferson Memorial
An interesting side of Ernest H., I thought.
Dang, that is an expensive pool! We didn’t make it to the Hemingway House when we visited Key West, but I wish we had gone (to pet the cats if nothing else).
Christy @ Technosyncratic recently posted..Strange Street Foods in Thailand
next time, perhaps…
Definitely not a cat person or a Hemingway fan but loved the penny story!
Cole @ Four Jandals recently posted..Four Jandals Adventure Travel Blog is Six Months Old
Yeah, sounds like Pauline was pretty cool..
Whether this story is true or not I don’t now but I’m on Pauline’s side. Revenge is sweet!
Ana (Ana Travels) recently posted..Dallas for culture vultures
Served him right, didn’t it…
What a cute story! I love that some of the cats still there are descendants. If only they knew the literary history of their ancestors!!
Cats seem to have all kinds of talents, maybe they know…
What a cool place to visit. I love that there are so many cats.
dtravelsround recently posted..Are you a stripper? And other questions about living in Las Vegas
It really was surprisingly cool.
Wow, what a cool story! Hemingway is such a fascinating figure … and I love the fact that his wife put the penny in the cement! Hilarious.
Totally fascinating. Imagine his wife must have been, too
I guess I didn’t realize how common those cats are with extra toes. One of my friends has a cat like that, and similarly he’s on the east coast of the US. I guess the eastern US breeds mutants….
Anwar recently posted..Friday Photo: The Choice of a Communist Generation
How interesting! I wish I had thought to take a close-up photo of their paws. They really looked like mittens.
This is such an enjoyable read! I’ve never heard of these cats but love the name, ‘mitten cats’ – this would be such a great tour.
Andrea recently posted..Visa Runs – The Mandatory Vacation
Yeah, would definitely recommend stopping by the Hemingway House if you’re in Key West.
I’ve been to Key West, but I’ve never actually gone inside the Hemingway House. I heard there were cats but had no clue they have 6 toes!
Yep! Absolutely worth a look – both the house and the cats.
Love the pool and the little bridge. And the penny! Never been to Key West, but you’ve just made it more appealing with this story!
Christina (Jandal Road) recently posted..Lyttelton farmers’ market
Thanks. It’s a house full of stories.
Lovely post, very interesting to know more about Hemingway private life. The cats are gorgeous
Angela recently posted..Surrendering to pleasure in Rome
Thanks, Angela
For the others reading this post, the house does NOT smell of cats – they keep it very clean, since it is historic landmark – but the cats pretty much have free reign while in the house.
We saw a number outside with the 6 toes, and one in particular had these perfectly formed 6-toe paws – they were so huge on him… like a lynx paw.
Don Faust recently posted..Girlfriend Getaway: Things to do in Charlotte
Thanks for your comment, Don. You’re right, I didn’t notice any smell in the house at all. When we were there, the cats mostly just laid around, looking cool and superior. And absolutely adorable!
Fascinating! I love the story of the pool and the penny!!
Thanks for linking up last week! I was out of town all weekend, so sorry it took me a few days to visit you!
~Becca
Becca@R We There Yet Mom? recently posted..Friday Daydreamin’: Spring Break Favorites!
Thanks. And no worries. Sounds like you had fun
I loved it went we went to Key West. The weather is fantastic and the houses are amazing. We just drove around and looked at some of the houses. They all have in-ground swimming pools with incredible landscaping – little shrubs and flowers around the pool to create an oasis. You don’t even have to go inside to know the house is luxurious.
Would be really interesting to have a peek inside some of the fabulous houses in Key West.
I’m an avid hemingway fan (and not a fan of pauline, more of first wife hadley) and have posted plenty about him and the other 1920s expats during his paris years. After reading the latest biography, Hemingway’s Boat, I am very curious to see the places in this post! Thank you for sharing!
monique recently posted..streaming italian
Thanks for stopping by. I’m not a huge fan of Hemingway as a writer, but he was an intriguing personality. I’ll have to read Hemingway’s Boat.
I was drawn in by this title and absolutely loved the whole article. I can’t believe I’ve missed this house even though I’ve been in Key West. Might just have to go back now.
Thank you so much, Marie. Key West is one of my favourite places in the USA. Hope you go back
This is a great story. Key West is so different from the rest of the USA, a little world on its own. I’ve been there many times, but I’ve never visited the Hemingway house. I even love cats.
If you love cats, the Hemingway house is definitely for you.