Ernest Hemingway's Florida House Impacted by Hurricane Ian, but Famous Six-Toed Cats Are Fine

Mar. 15, 2025

Photo: Ernest Hemingway House/Instagram

Ernest Hemingway’s homein Key West, Florida, is intact following the impact ofHurricane Ian.

In a statement to PEOPLE, Alexa Morgan, a representative for the museum, said that the historical building received minor damage amid the storm, and the 59 cats who live in the estate are safe and sound. “All is well,” she said.

According to Morgan, the staff at the estate is now dealing with the aftermath of the hurricane, including cleaning tree and leaf debris from the outside area of the home.

The museum closed on Wednesday and is already up and running on Thursday.

In preparation for the storm, the cats were safely sheltered on the property, with a few staff members staying there to feed and tend to the animals.

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Wolfgang Kaehler/LightRocket via Getty

Prior to the category 4 storm, the author’s granddaughter, Mariel Hemingway, spoke toThe Daily Mailabout her fears of the home being destroyed.

“If any of his houses were destroyed the pain and sorrow would be palpable,” the actress, 60, told the outlet, also referencing his homes in Ketchum, Idaho, and Havana, Cuba.

“It would be upsetting if any of his houses were affected,” she continued.

Paul Harris/Getty

As for the numerous cats located within the Key West property, most of them have a unique feature: six toes.

“About half of the cats at the museum have the physical polydactyl (six toes) 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,” themuseum’s websitestates.

Keeping his tradition alive, the museum continues to name all of its cats after famous people.

In the early 1930s, the house underwent major restoration and remodeling that turned it into what is now a national historical landmark.

In 1940, the couple divorced, and Hemingway left for Cuba to live with his third wife, Martha Gellhorn. He continued to visit the home during the 1940s and 1950s until his death in 1961.

source: people.com