Key West Timeshares and Six-Toed Cats

Say the word, “Hemingway”, and author Ernest Hemingway, a man as colorful as he was talented, quickly comes to mind. But did you know that the word “Hemingway””also refers to any six-toed domestic cat?

It seems that Ernest Hemingway acquired a six-toed cat from a sailor he met in Key West. Hemingway was quite fond of the polydactyl (the proper term for felines with more than five toes) and as a result, was delighted when many of its descendants were polydactyl’s too.

Now, I might have already known this interesting bit of trivia, if I had ever taken advantage of the opportunities in Key West timeshares. Key West is not only a great place to soak up some sun and just relax, it is also home to “Papa” Hemingway’s museum and it is just the type of picturesque locale that many visitors to the Keys include in an afternoon of sightseeing.

The Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum is a tribute to the author’s life, especially the years he spent as a resident of Key West. Winner of both the Nobel Prize for Literature and the Pulitzer Prize, Hemingway lived in Key West for approximately ten years, between 1929 and 1939.

Today the museum is known for providing a glimpse into Hemingway’s life, an archive for some of his memorabilia and a home to the multi-generations of multi-toed felines that are descendants from Snowball, Hemingway’s original six-toed cat.

The Hemingway cats have been in the news lately because they are entangled in some government red tape. Last year, the US Department of Agriculture cited The Hemingway Museum for exhibiting cats without the proper credentials, namely an Animal Welfare License issued by the USDA. The position of the USDA is that the museum is exhibiting the cats (there are approximately 50 at last count) and like a zoo, must therefore keep the cats in cages. Other new articles suggest that the neighbors may simply be tired of living next door to such a large and growing cat population.

This blog posting includes several good links, so you can read more about the battle between the museum and government officials. But I’ve also included links to some wonderful Key West timeshare locations.

If you have been to Florida, but never been to the Keys, you have really missed a unique experience. And timeshare resales and timeshare rentals make an excellent way to enjoy the island lifestyle of Key Largo, Marathon and Key West.

Here’s a fun You Tube video of The Hemingway Home and Museum, that may make you want to book that Key West timeshare now and spend some time off the beaten path.