Famous Friday: Hemingway Cats

by Paws on Your Heart on April 12, 2013

Did you know that Ernest Hemingway loved cats? In fact, there is one type of feline that he couldn’t get enough of… the Polydactyl cat. Hemingway loved Polydactyl cats so much that they earned the nickname “Hemingway Cats”.

You may be wondering what a Polydactyl cat is…

Polydactyl cats (or Hemingway cats) are simply felines that have more than 5 toes on their paws. These cats are actually quite common among the feline population, and besides their extra toes, they are no different from any other feline.

Why did Hemingway love Polydactyl cats so much?

Ernest Hemingway was introduced to Polydactyl cats when he was given one as a gift from a ship’s captain. This sparked Hemingway’s obsession with Polydactyl cats. Hemingway owned several Polydactyl cats during his lifetime including, Big Boy Peterson, Boise, Cristobal, F. Puss, Friendless, Izzy, Princessa, Snowball, Uncle Wolfer, and Willy.

Although he passed away in 1961, Hemingway’s love of Polydactyl cats lives on in the Hemingway Home. Today, visitors to the Hemingway Home museum may be lucky enough to be greeted by some 40 Hemingway Cat residents.

Is there a famous feline you’d like to see featured in one of our Famous Friday posts?
Let us know in the comments section below.

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