A true story · 4 agosto 2026
The writer, the captain and the six-toed cat
One of Hemingway’s strangest characters never appeared in a novel. It arrived on six toes.
- A2Nivel
- 3Minutos
- 156Palabras
Read the story
Ernest Hemingway was used to unusual characters. He wrote about soldiers, fishermen and adventurers.
But one of the strangest characters in his life did not appear in a novel. It arrived on six toes.
The cat was white. Her name was Snow White. And she had six toes.
The story goes that a sea captain owned the unusual cat. Hemingway was fascinated by her, so when the captain left Key West, he gave the cat to the writer.
Hemingway kept Snow White at his home in Key West, Florida. The house filled with cats. Decades passed. Hemingway left. The cats stayed.
Today, nearly sixty cats live at the Hemingway Home and Museum. About half of them have the six-toed trait, and some are descendants of Snow White. The museum continues another Hemingway tradition too: every cat is named after a famous person.
A small gift from a captain became a living part of a writer’s legend.
Words worth keeping
Cuatro expresiones para guardar
- toe
- dedo del pie o de la pata
- to be fascinated by
- sentir fascinación por algo
- descendant
- descendiente
- the story goes
- según cuenta la historia
The cat had six toes.
Hemingway was fascinated by the cat.
Some cats are descendants of Snow White.
The story goes that a captain owned the cat.
Check your understanding
¿Qué has entendido?
Responde sin volver al texto. Al terminar verás tu puntuación y las explicaciones.
Historia documentada a partir de Hemingway Home & Museum.