American author Ernest Hemingway was undeniably one of the most passionate cat lovers in literary history—second only, perhaps, to Mark Twain, who adored cats so deeply that he refused to associate with anyone who didn’t share his affection. Twain even went so far as to rent cats during his travels when he couldn’t bring his own.

 

Many of you might already be familiar with the Hemingway House in Key West, Florida—a charming haven now home to around 60 cats. This feline legacy began with a single cat named Snow, a polydactyl (multi-toed) cat gifted to Hemingway by a sea captain. Snow wasn’t just a pet; he became a symbol of the writer’s deep, enduring bond with cats.

 

Today, many of the cats roaming the Hemingway House are descendants of Snow, lovingly cared for by a dedicated staff. The house isn’t just a pilgrimage site for literature enthusiasts—it’s also a sanctuary for cat lovers. In keeping with tradition, every cat is named after a famous figure, with “Mark Twain” among them, honoring one of Hemingway’s greatest literary influences.

 

As Hemingway once said, with profound truth and tenderness:

“A cat has absolute emotional honesty: human beings, for one reason or another, may hide their feelings, but a cat does not.”