Ernest Hemingway’s Polydactal Cats

Hemingway fell in love with these polydactal cats which have 5 toes or 6. He was given one by a sea captain which he named Snow White. The sea captains believed they brought good luck on ships due to the extra digit on their paws making them good mousers and being able to stand firmly on a ship.

Hemingway got another white polydactyl cat and named it Snowball. He let it run wild on the island in the keys. There are now a well taken care of colony of these special cats at the Hemingway House.