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Hemmingway House

Key West Main

It is hard to imagine his fondness for cats. Perhaps it is the nature of the cat to be independent that he admired. The cats were never in the house, but they were allowed to prowl the grounds freely, much to the dismay of the plentiful songbirds. The cats were well taken care of and lived a life of leisure. A contented cat provided with his food and water, in a warm climate, in the middle of a bird sanctuary was ideal.

All the cats had names provided, mostly, by the staff.

The story of the cat's source of water was highlighted on the tour. How the bar that Ernest frequented, when moving to a new location, sold off its fixtures. Ernest was said to have bought a urinal after his bout of drinking for the night and dragged it home with some difficulty; it weighing about 150 pounds. His wife was dismayed that this fixture was laying in the yard and personally had it decorated in tile with the colorful cistern to give the impression that it was, indeed, a fountain.

And there were other fountains on the grounds and even a swimming pool, a gift from his wife.