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The legendary Ernest Hemingway home appears doomed ... an almost certain casualty of Hurricane Irma ... this according to local law enforcement.
The Key West home - made of wood and built in the 1850's - sits about 16 feet above sea level, which is the highest point on the island. Law enforcement tells us they're expecting at least 15 feet of water to flood the area ... so the outcome is bleak.
The Hemingway Home's manager, 72 year old Jacqui Sands, has already said she's staying put to maintain the home and its 55 or so roaming cats. Jacqui and some staff are boarding up and bunkering down.
The Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum is home to approximately 40-50 polydactyl (six-toed) cats. Cats normally have five front toes and four back toes. About half of the cats at the museum have the physical polydactyl trait, but they all carry the polydactyl gene in their DNA, which means that the ones that have 4 and 5 toes can still mother or father six-toed kittens. Most cats have extra toes on their front feet and sometimes on their back feet as well. Sometimes it looks as if they are wearing mittens because they appear to have a thumb on their paw.
Ernest Hemingway was given a white six-toed cat by a ship’s captain and some of the cats who live on the museum grounds are descendants of that original cat, named Snow White. Key West is a small island, and it is possible that many of the cats on the island are related. The polydactyl cats are not a particular breed. The trait can appear in any breed, Calicos, Tabbies, Tortoise Shell. White, Black, etc. They vary in shapes, sizes, colors and personalities.
http://www.chron.com/news/nation-wor...e-12180112.php
The Key West home - made of wood and built in the 1850's - sits about 16 feet above sea level, which is the highest point on the island. Law enforcement tells us they're expecting at least 15 feet of water to flood the area ... so the outcome is bleak.
The Hemingway Home's manager, 72 year old Jacqui Sands, has already said she's staying put to maintain the home and its 55 or so roaming cats. Jacqui and some staff are boarding up and bunkering down.
The Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum is home to approximately 40-50 polydactyl (six-toed) cats. Cats normally have five front toes and four back toes. About half of the cats at the museum have the physical polydactyl trait, but they all carry the polydactyl gene in their DNA, which means that the ones that have 4 and 5 toes can still mother or father six-toed kittens. Most cats have extra toes on their front feet and sometimes on their back feet as well. Sometimes it looks as if they are wearing mittens because they appear to have a thumb on their paw.
Ernest Hemingway was given a white six-toed cat by a ship’s captain and some of the cats who live on the museum grounds are descendants of that original cat, named Snow White. Key West is a small island, and it is possible that many of the cats on the island are related. The polydactyl cats are not a particular breed. The trait can appear in any breed, Calicos, Tabbies, Tortoise Shell. White, Black, etc. They vary in shapes, sizes, colors and personalities.
http://www.chron.com/news/nation-wor...e-12180112.php
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