You could say that the battle between the federal government and Hemingway’s cats has been a long one. To put a finer point on it, the strange case of the furry creatures versus the feds has been in the court system for nearly 10 years.

The case centers around the 40-plus cats that roam the property of the iconic Hemingway Home & Museum in Key West, Florida.

The felines are thought to be descendants of Ernest Hemingway’s beloved polydactyl kitty Snowball. Like the polydactyl Snowball, many of the kitties have six toes. Polydactyl cats have a congenital physical anomaly that gives them an extra toe on one or each of their paws.

American Thinker writes that the museum considers today’s Hemingway cats to be part of the charm of visiting. Hemingway Home is currently toured by approximately 250,000 visitors each year. The cats wander the property freely but are well taken care of by staff and given weekly veterinary visits.

For many years the United States Department of Agriculture has fought through the courts for the right to regulate Hemingway’s cats. It’s not a matter of improper care by the museum. In fact, when the USDA sent PETA to see the felines’ conditions, a representative said:

“What I found was a bunch of fat, happy and relaxed cats. God save the cats.”

Instead, the USDA believes the cats fall under the Animal Welfare Act of 1966 which allows regulation of animal exhibits. According to an article in The New York Times, the USDA referenced advertising materials that featured the cats as part of the museum’s attractions.

Earlier this month, the United States Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit begrudgingly agreed. Although the court expressed sympathized with Hemingway Home and acknowledged their proper care of the animals, the subsequent ruling sided with the USDA.

What do you think of the court ruling in favor of the feds versus Hemingway cats?

Hemingway’s Cats Versus The Feds is a post from: The Inquisitr

The Chicago-area home belonging to author Ernest Hemingway will once again belong to a family for a price tag of $525,000, according to the Chicago Tribune.

Originally serving as the boyhood home of the famous novelist, it was purchased in 2001 by the Ernest Hemingway Foundation for $420,000 after it functioned as a three apartment multi-family home.

The Foundation had plans to partner with Dominican University and planned to spend $1.5 million to  make the home into a cultural center and scholarly retreat. Unfortunately, due to hard economic times, they were forced to abandon their plans which led them to listing the home for sale.

Residing in the Oak Park neighborhood, the home was a familiar sight for Kurt and Mary Jane Neumann, so when they saw the home go on the market, they jumped at the chance to own the historic home.

“When we stepped inside the house, we immediately fell in love,” said Kurt Neumann.

The Foundation said that they received a few offers on the home, but that the Neumanns proposed the best plan and seemed to be the best fit overall for the Hemingway home, according to Susan Beegel of the Hemingway Review.

“I’m very sorry it won’t be a historic home turned into a museum for all of the public to see,” Beegel said. “But it’s better as a single-family home than an apartment building.”

Adding, ”The Neumanns are very committed to honoring the past of the home,” Berry said. “They said they’re going to restore it to its 1906 glory.”

Luckily for the public, the Neumann’s want to reassure everyone that they are in no way going to ignore the rich history of the home.

“We don’t want anyone to feel like we’re going to shutter it up or minimize the historical significance” Kurt said in regards to whether or not they would allow visitors to still see the home.

However, Neumann did state that there will certainly need to be a balance when it comes to respecting their new purchase.

“We appreciate curiosity in the home. We just need to balance the reality that it’s going to be our family home.”

What do you think of the Hemingway home being sold?

Hemingway Home Sold: Author’s Boyhood Home To Belong To A Family Again is a post from: The Inquisitr