Snow White: The six-toed cat that started Hemingway’s famous kitty colony

Captain Dexter’s Six-Toed Gift to Hemingway

In 1930s Key West, a sea captain named Stanley Dexter gave Ernest Hemingway a gift that lives on today. The captain saw how Hemingway liked his six-toed cat Snowball at the docks.

Soon after, he handed the writer one of Snowball’s kittens. Hemingway’s sons named her Snow White, and she bred with local cats that hung around their home.

Sailors thought these extra-toed cats brought good luck on ships, which fit well with the often-injured Hemingway. After his death in 1961, his house turned into a museum where about 50 cats now live.

These furry stars, many from Snow White’s line, have made the Hemingway House in Key West as famous for its cats as for its literary past.

A Seafaring Captain Brought His Lucky Cat to Key West

Harold Stanley Dexter moved to Key West in 1921 and became a well-known shipwreck and salvage captain. He sailed from Massachusetts with his white six-toed cat Snowball, who caught everyone’s eye around the docks.

Both Dexter and his unusual cat became familiar faces in the busy port town.

Sailors back then thought cats with extra toes brought good luck on ships because they kept their balance better during rough seas. These special cats also earned their keep by hunting rats and mice on ships.

Hemingway Fell for a Six-Toed Feline at the Harbor

Ernest Hemingway first came to Key West in April 1928 and quickly felt at home. He often hung out at the docks where he spotted Snowball, Captain Dexter’s six-toed cat.

The writer always stopped to pet the white cat whenever he saw her. Hemingway asked many questions about Snowball’s extra toes and unique look.

Captain Dexter noticed how much the writer liked his seafaring buddy and saw real interest in Hemingway’s eyes whenever Snowball was around.

The Kitten That Started a Famous Cat Colony

Captain Dexter gave Hemingway one of Snowball’s six-toed kittens after seeing how much the writer liked his cat. Hemingway’s young sons Patrick and Gregory named their new pet Snow White.

The kitten quickly settled into the Hemingway house.

The often-injured writer welcomed the cat’s supposed luck, as sailors long believed six-toed cats kept away bad fortune. This friendly gift between a sea captain and a writer created a legacy lasting nearly a century.

Snow White Built Her Own Cat Dynasty

Hemingway often said, “One cat just leads to another,” which came true as Snow White bred with local cats hanging around his property. The writer fed many neighborhood strays, giving Snow White plenty of mates.

Hemingway started naming all his cats after famous people he knew or liked. Snow White’s kittens formed the start of what grew into today’s famous colony.

The six-toe gene spread through many cat generations, creating a unique family tree that still exists today.

The Writer Who Loved His “Purr Factories”

Hemingway showed his deep love for cats in many letters to friends.

When he had to put down his hurt cat Uncle Willie, he wrote about the sadness of killing someone he “knew and loved for eleven years.”

His cats roamed freely around the house, often lounging on furniture despite signs warning human guests not to sit.

Hemingway called his cats “love sponges” and “purr factories,” letting them sleep on his bed and even on his writing desk while he worked.

The Key West House Turned Into a Cat Haven

Bernice Dixon bought Hemingway’s house after his death in 1961 and turned it into the Ernest Hemingway Museum. The writer’s will said all cat descendants should stay at the property and get protection forever.

The museum opened to the public sixty years ago as a kept piece of Key West history. Visitors today see the house much as it looked in the 1930s, with typewriters on desks and cats lounging everywhere.

The cats became as famous as their literary owner, drawing tourists from around the world.

Cat Caretakers Keep Snow White’s Lineage Going

Museum staff keep about 60 cats through careful breeding to preserve Snow White’s genetic legacy. Only one cat couple gets to have kittens each year, with staff closely watching family ties to stop inbreeding.

About half the current cats show the famous extra-toe trait, though all carry the six-toe gene in their DNA. In recent years, just one kitten joined the colony, a gray cat that staff voted to name June Carter Cash.

Each cat gets regular vet care and lots of attention from both staff and visitors.

Government Officials Wanted to Cage the Famous Felines

Trouble started around 2003 when a museum visitor complained to the USDA about the cats’ care.

Federal officials decided the museum counted as an animal exhibitor under the law because it charged entry fees and featured cats in its ads.

The USDA told the museum to either put each cat in separate cages at night, build higher fences, or hire a night watchman to watch them.

Officials threatened $200 daily fines for each cat and warned they might take away the entire colony if the museum didn’t follow rules.

Lawyers Fought for the Cats’ Freedom to Roam

The museum filed a lawsuit in 2009 claiming the USDA had no power over cats that never left the property. In 2012, the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against the museum in a complete decision.

The judges decided the cats “substantially affect interstate commerce” because thousands of visitors from other states came just to see them.

The museum finally got a temporary exhibitor’s license while still fighting against federal control. The legal fight showed how important these cats had become to both the museum and Key West tourism.

Staff Risked Their Lives to Protect the Cat Colony

During Hurricane Irma in 2017, museum manager Jacque Sands and ten employees stayed behind despite orders to leave to look after the cats. Every single cat lived through the powerful storm thanks to their dedication.

Staff noticed the animals seemed to sense the coming danger before humans did.

Curator Dave Gonzales watched cats running inside for shelter before staff rounded them up and said, “Sometimes I think they’re smarter than human beings.”

Even Hemingway’s granddaughter Muriel called to check on the cats’ safety during the storm.

Tourists Travel Worldwide to Meet Snow White’s Descendants

Today the museum employs veterinarians who give regular checkups, vaccinations, and treatments to all cats on the property.

A special cat cemetery honors every feline that lived at the house since the 1980s, with individual plaques bearing names like Mark Twain and Simone de Beauvoir.

The cats roam freely throughout the grounds, often sleeping on Hemingway’s furniture or in his garden.

Staff believe many cats throughout Key West may carry Snow White’s genes, creating a 90-year living legacy that began with a simple gift between a sea captain and a writer.

Visiting Ernest Hemingway’s House in Key West, Florida

You can visit Hemingway’s house at 907 Whitehead Street to see where the famous six-toed cats started. Admission costs $19 for adults and $7 for kids 6-12, with children 5 and under free.

They only take cash, but cards work with a 3% fee. Guided tours run every 15 minutes from 9:15am to 4:30pm and last about 20-30 minutes.

The house opens daily from 9am to 5pm year-round. You can peek into his writing studio through the screen.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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