Hemingway's 6-toed cats weather the storm unharmedPublished: Monday, September 11, 2017
While Hurricane Irma caused widespread devastation in Florida, it spared the cats living in Ernest Hemingway's old Key West home. Everyone was ordered to evacuate from the Florida Keys last week as Irma approached. But Jacque Sands, general manager of the Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum, refused to leave. She vowed to stay on the property with the house's 54 cats, many of which have six toes and are descended from Hemingway's own white polydactyl cat. Animal lovers and even one of Hemingway's granddaughters pleaded with Sands to flee to safety. But Sands said the cats and the humans caring for them would be fine inside Hemingway's house, where the limestone walls are 18 inches thick. And in a bit of good news today, Dave Gonzales, the house's curator, confirmed that the cats had survived just fine. He said 10 employees stayed on-site during the storm. The building's limestone exterior helped keep its interior cool for the felines, Gonzales said, adding that "hopefully, things will get back to normal in Key West and we'll enjoy our life in paradise" (Maggie Astor, *New York Times* <https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/11/us/hemingway-cats-irma.html>, Sept. 11). *— MJ* _______________________________________ http://www.okiebenz.com To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: http://mail.okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com
