Upfront: Polydactyl Cats

Hairy Truman next to Ernest's typewriter.

                         A Farewell to Cats?

Shine Forbes, another Hemingway cat.

Capt Tony, Benny Goodman, and Fats Waller awaking from a 'cat nap'.

Ernest Hemingway writing, accompanied by one of his cats.

The Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum is the house in Old Town Key West, on an island, where Nobel Prize winner, Ernest Hemingway, lived for more than 10 years while writing his


phenomenal books. But more than just exhibits are housed in this museum; more than forty polydactyl cats live on the beautiful island. Polydactyl cats are cats that have extra toes on their front paws and sometimes the back paws, but cats with extra toes on all four paws are even more rare. Most cats have 18 toes on their paws, but these cats can have up to 32! Polydactyl cats are known by many names, from “Hemingway cat” and “mitten cat” to “big-foot cat” and “six-toed cat” — or even “cats with thumbs.” They aren't a specific breed; they can be Calicos, Tabbies, Tortishell, etc. because the extra toes are caused by a genetic mutation in the cat's DNA. More than half of the cats at the Hemingway Home actually have extra toes, but all the cats have the polydactyl gene. The true polydactyl is genetically inherited as an autosomal dominant trait of the Pd gene. The cats at the house are said to descend from Hemingway’s cat Snowball, a white six toed cat given to him by a ship’s captain and drinking buddy, Stanley Dexter. Unfortunately, Snowball died in 1961. Later, Ernest Hemingway named his cats after famous people, and the museum hopes to continue this tradition. For many generations, the Hemingway cats have been pampered by being well-fed, healthy, and given the whole estate to lounge around on. Routine visits from the vet include; vaccines, treatments for ear mites, spraying for fleas, and worming so the cats stay healthy for all visitors. Recently, a court ruled that the Hemingway Home needs a license to keep the cats as if they are part of the museum exhibit. The museum is livid and wants to appeal to the Supreme Court, but with all the cases appealed the Supreme Court a year, who knows if the Supreme Court will decide to hear their case? So far, the cats haven’t been disturbed by federal regulators.

Could this be Snowball?

Wilhelmina Harvey chilling in her bed.

I have been to a few cat shows where there was a class for polydactyl cats specifically. Groups are forming a breed standard based on the paws and body conformation of the cat. The paws can have an unlimited amount of toes as long as the toes are formed correctly. The forearm and back legs are usually thicker and sturdier than regular cats because the polydactyls have more toes and leg bone. The cat must stand straight and have a good sense of balance when the judge drops it on its feet. If the cat’s legs bow out or bow in, the cat gets a fault. The cats can be any breed, color, and size but must behave on the show table and in the show ring; like all show cats. Most polydactyl cats I saw in the show I went to were Maine Coon cats, which have a 40% polydactylism rate. Scientists believe that Maine Coons have extra toes because it helps them in the Maine snow by being ‘snowshoes’.  Also, there are two types of feet according to the breed standard. A‘mitt’ or ‘glove’ looks like a mitten or a catcher’s glove.It

The underside of a polydactyl paw.

Cats usually have five front toes and four back toes.

 looks like the cat has a thumb consisting of toes; and even sometimes a three toed paw will be attached to a five toed paw. The other type of polydactyl paw looks just like a ‘normal’ paw, but with extra toes squished in between the other toes. I certainly hope that the Supreme Court will rule in favor of the Hemingway House and Museum so people can continue to visit the cats with more claws on their paws!

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Keep on Chasin' Your Dreams,
Caitlin