Ernest Hemingway Museum Cats Could Use Matlock

The 46 cats that are descendents of the cat owned by famous American author, Ernest Hemingway could sure use a good attorney. The U.S. Department Of Agriculture is pushing for fines of $200 a day unless the museum is licensed as animal display site such as a zoo, circus or similar animal display site. An attorney for the home and museum of Ernest Hemingway, Cara Higgins will have to defend the cats against a lawsuit filed in Federal Court in Miami against the famous Key West landmark. Trustees maintain the property that the cats reside on, and charge a small admission fee to tourists to view the house and museum.

For some legal reason, grandfather laws are not being applied to this museum which opened in 1964, likely because the issue has been elevated to a federal case. But the fate of the 46 cats, most of which are the slightly uncommon polydactyl types with six toes may be at stake. The museum certainly does not have vast funds to contest a huge federal case. But the cats are well cared for at the site, with no good question about their welfare really at issue.

Polydactyl cats have a relatively uncommon recessive gene that dates back to preshistoric times that allows many of the cats to be born with 6 toes that have the appearance of thumbs or little hands on the cats. These cats were well loved by author Hemingway, and have been permanent residents of his home which was made into a museum after his death. In May, 7 more of cats were born on the site, with all but six with polydactyl traits.

Hopefully the lawyer for this small museum can defend the right of the cats to continue to live at their own home. But with Miami awash in problems with drugs, gangs, and violent crime, it seems absurd that a small museum with a few cats as permanent residents should warrant a Federal Court case. But then again, Florida courts are famous for absurd cases while serious crime flourishes. Regardless, these poor cats might need the services of Matlock not to lose their home. Will this become a landmark Supreme Court case if the federal case goes badly for the museum? Will the cats have to testify for the defense? The questions can go on.