Crazy cat lovers, the Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum in Key West is a must-do for your travel bucket list. Here are just a few of the furry friends we met while touring the property.
This post is in partnership with The Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum and The Florida Keys and Key West who hosted our visit. All opinions are my own. You can read my full Disclosure Policy here.
Looking for an experience the whole family will enjoy in Key West? Visit the Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum. Whether they’ve read The Old Man and the Sea or not, even the kids are going to love it here.
A gorgeous property, an interactive tour, and cats, cats, and more cats. Meet some of our favorite furballs below!
Ernest Hemingway Home in Key West
Famous American Author, Ernest Hemingway, lived his life in many different places. One of them was this home in Key West where he spent 10 years living with his second wife (of four) and their two sons.
Today, a tour of their home is a must-do while you’re in Key West, and it was one of our favorite stops during our family vacation, both for it’s educational value AND it’s entertainment value.
We had a very animated tour guide walk us through the rooms of the house and share some Hemingway story, which was pretty interesting. There are photos and pieces of history in every room.
This study is where Hemingway did his writing, and it’s on the second floor of a separate carriage house adjacent to the main house. A separate little house to go work in? Sign me up, please.
The house is interesting and historical, and property is gorgeous (beautiful gardens and there’s even a pool) but for us and for many visitors, the real draw is the cats.
What Is a Hemingway Cat?
A Hemingway cat is a kind of a nickname for a polydactyl (many-toed) cat, or one with extra toes. Cats usually have 5 front toes and 4 back toes, but a polydactyl will have more.
Ernest Hemingway was given his original polydactyl cat, Snow White, by a friend and sea captain. Many of the cats living on the property now are descendants of Snow White and also have extra toes.
This one above is named Hercules. Look at those giant paws! He’s gorgeous. Even if the cats at the Hemingway Home don’t have extra toes, they carry the gene in their DNA.
Hemingway liked to name his cats after famous people, and the cats we were introduced to all had famous names as well.
Meet the Hemingway Cats
When we visited in August 2018, there were 57 cats living on the property and they have their own staff. Who wants to sign up for this job?! This beauty on the couch above wasn’t about to be disturbed by anyone.
Named Joe DiMaggio, he’s probably gotten used to having his picture taken a hundred times. Joe has 24 fingers, which is 6 more than a ‘normal’ cat!
While some areas of the home are roped off to protect flooring and furniture, the cats have free range. This pretty kitty was washing up right in the middle of the bed in the master bedroom.
This black cat on the windowsill is the master of this cool bathroom.
Touring the grounds outside was like walking through a seek-and-find of cats. The more you looke around, the more cats you could see. And as you can imagine, it was HOT in Key West in August, so they were pretty smart about finding shade.
We all need a cat planter like this, right? Adorable.
The cats are all pretty friendly and used to people so if you’re like us and feel the need to have up-close conversations with every animal you see, you’ll love it here.
Kind of a sad spot, but also pretty heartwarming, is the cat cemetery. All of the cats that reside at the Hemingway House are memorialized here, with their name, birth, and death years on a stone.
I love that even with 57 cats roaming around, each one has a name and is special here.
Things to Do With Kids in Key West
This visit to the Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum was one of the highlights of our stay in Key West. My family loves animals, and this was almost like a scavenger hunt for cats. How many can you find? How many can you pet? It’s a pet-lover’s dream.
Check out the Hemingway Home website for more details on planning a visit. Follow them on Facebook for more cat pics. Everyone needs more of that, right?
The Florida Keys and Key West are the perfect place for a family vacation. Visit their website, and check out their social profiles for tons of ideas to help plan your adventure: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
HOW TO PLAN A FLORIDA KEYS FAMILY VACATION:
WHERE TO STAY IN THE FLORIDA KEYS
BEST PLACES TO EAT IN THE FLORIDA KEYS
- Marker 88 Restaurant in Islamorada
- Angler & Ale Restaurant, Hawks Cay Resort on Duck Key
- Morada Bay Beach Cafe, Islamorada
- Robbie’s of Islamorada: The Hungry Tarpon + Feed the Tarpon
- Turtle Kraals Restaurant in Key West
- First Flight Restaurant & Brewery: USA’s Southernmost Microbrewery
- 11 Best Places for Key Lime Pie in The Florida Keys
THINGS TO WITH KIDS IN THE FLORIDA KEYS
- The Turtle Hospital, Marathon Key
- Dolphin Research Center, Marathon Key
- Robbie’s of Islamorada: The Hungry Tarpon + Feed the Tarpon
- Aquarium Encounters in Marathon FL: Coral Reef Encounter
- Bahia Honda State Park – Best Florida Keys Beaches
- Key West Butterfly Conservatory
- The Cats of the Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum in Key West, Florida
- 15 Things to Do With Kids in Key West
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