Wild animals inbreed all the time. The six toes come from a mutation in the cats' genes which about half of the offspring will have 6 toes. The cats are healthy.
Lol, they said it was a present from a friend in another country and Hemingway was very very superstitious, so the more they have the better luck. Yes they say all the subsequent cats in key west are descendant from that first cat. They even have a cemetery in the backyard for their cats. ")
They are spoiled rotten here. There are currently 57 cats that are all named and there is a veterinarian that visits daily to take care of them. They have the run of the home and the gardens but are not allowed outside the property. They are population controlled and many are polydactyls but not all. Some are descendants of the original but not all, there have been strays that have gotten in over the years. I have never seen such spoiled cats. They are great fun to watch and take pictures of.
They watch the cats breading pretty carefully. They Have a whole story on them at the museum.
The term is polydactyl! My boy is actually a poly. He has an extra toe on each paw. It’s a form of a mutation but it’s also an inherited trait.
My cat has 7 toes on her front paws and 6 on the back. I live in Louisiana, but she came from a colony in Kentucky. It's genetic dice throwing.
We have 2 polydactyl cats ! I’d love to visit this place !
In an interview, Patrick Hemingway said unequivocally that the polydactyl cats were NOT Ernest's, but are the offspring of the neighbor's cat. He said his mother (Pauline) was highly allergic to cats and wouldn't allow Ernest (or the boys) to own any at their house in Key West. Furthermore, she'd chase the neighbor's polydactyl cat off the property any time she saw it. Why do the guides at the Hemingway House keep perpetuating this lie?
They are spoiled rotten here the case with the 6 toed cats they are good luck just like red in china
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