In 1982 the city's mayor, Dennis Wardlow, and the city counsel even voted to succeed from the United States – symbolically at least – in protest of increased Border Patrol roadblocks in and out of the city. It stayed a publicity stunt before escalating in full-out war, but to this day the town is covered with "Conch Republic" flags in remembrance. Oh, how silly.
Key West also appealed to Hemingway because of its access to water – duh – and its many, many bars. Ernie purchased his Key West house because, in part, to its proximity to the city's lighthouse. When stumbling drunk out of a local watering hole, he need only find the lighthouse to know how to get home. A water fountain currently sitting in the backyard of the property was once a urinal from a Key West bar.
But when I visited Ernie's (restored) house a few years ago, and took the full tour, what interested me the most? His mutant cats. Technically, they are not even his cats—but the distant relatives of his cats. I hope there is nothing wrong with me.
Hemingway House tour guides and Hemingway fans believe the more than 50 cats who are still living on the property are related to Ernie's old cat Snowball, who the author inherited in the 1935's. Snowball was unique because the cat was polydactyl, meaning it had more toes than a normal cat.
For decades Snowball descendants have been multiplying inside the property and around the island, which included god knows how much inbreeding. Today, quite a few cats around the property – and even roaming the streets of Key West – can be seen sporting the extra one or two toes. The staff at the Hemingway House, who I suspect long ago learned of the marketing potential for mutant cats, has named each of them after celebrities of the early 20th century.
As if it weren't weird enough already, the United States Department of Agriculture sued the Hemingway House in 2006, claiming the staff at the historical landmark were failing to adequately care for the high numbers of cats – some mutant, some not – who were roaming outside the Spanish Colonial home. The two parties later settled, and a large fence was erected outside the property to keep in Snowball's spawn.The Hemingway House's Web site has a FAQ section about the cats, including a question about inbreeding. This leads me to believe that a significant number of questions they receive about the cats pertain to inbreeding, and I must wonder how long they have fielded these types of questions.
Here is what they said in response:
"Putting aside the possible negative connotations, close relationship is the strategy behind cat breeding programs which concentrate on a particular trait. For example, the Siamese breed originated from a pair of cats brought to America around 1890. They became very fashionable in the 1920's and inbreeding caused ill health, so breeders were forced to use more care in mating selection, which results in the breed as we know it today. The cats here on the grounds who are allowed to reproduce do have the polydactyl gene, however."
It was interesting to learnt that tidbit about Siamese cats – even though I still think they're ugly creatures – but it doesn't exactly address why they continue to deliberately inbreed polydactyl cats.Maybe they care about Snowball's relatives much like people pay attention to celebrities' offspring. I'm not sure what Frank Sinatra Jr. has done to warrant any attention, except for being named Frank Sinatra Jr. Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie's kids have guaranteed book deals at any point in their natural lives.
Or maybe the best way to alleviate boredom while working at an Ernest Hemingway museum a super race of cats.
Or maybe, like me, they are just fascinated with mutant cats, and want to keep the dream alive.
I certainly won't judge them. Bob Barker might.
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