Hemingway House Archives

🐾 Paws Across the Globe: Celebrating International Cat Day

I just found out it’s International Cat Day!

Every August 8th, cat lovers unite in a chorus of purrs and whiskers to celebrate International Cat Day—a day devoted to honoring our feline companions and raising awareness about their welfare. Whether curled up on a windowsill or ruling the roost with a flick of the tail, cats have long enchanted us with their mysterious charm.

Banner & Balboa photo credit Deb Neumann

But some places take this devotion to a whole new level. Let’s journey to two of the world’s most iconic cat-loving destinations: Aoshima Island in Japan and Ernest Hemingway’s home in Key West, Florida.

🇯🇵 Aoshima: Japan’s Whispering Island of Cats

Nestled in the Seto Inland Sea, Aoshima—often called Cat Island—is a tranquil fishing village where cats outnumber humans nearly 6 to 1. Originally brought in to control mice threatening silkworm farms, the cats stayed, multiplied, and became the island’s unofficial ambassadors.

🚫 Dogs are not allowed, making it a true feline sanctuary.
🐟 Fishermen feed the cats scraps from their catch, and locals believe cats bring good luck.
⛩️ A small cat shrine honors a feline who died in a rockfall, symbolizing the islanders’ reverence.

Visitors arrive by ferry, greeted by a sea of curious eyes and twitching tails. There are no hotels or restaurants—just cats, ocean breezes, and a sense of timeless serenity.

Aoshima, Japan's Cat Island: A Visitor's Guide - Catster

Aoshima, Japan’s Cat Island- Photo Shutterstock

Explore more about Aoshima here.

🇺🇸 Hemingway’s Key West: Six-Toed Legends

Thousands of miles away, in sun-drenched Key West, the Ernest Hemingway Home & Museum is home to nearly 60 polydactyl cats—descendants of Hemingway’s beloved six-toed feline, Snow White, gifted by a ship’s captain.

🐾 These cats carry the polydactyl gene, giving them mitten-like paws.
🏛️ They roam freely through Hemingway’s historic home and gardens.
🎭 Each cat is named after a famous person—just as Hemingway did.

The cats are as much a part of the museum’s legacy as the Nobel Prize-winning author himself. Visitors often come for the literature but stay for the lounging legends with extra toes.

Ernest Hemingway's Cats - the best part of the Florida Keys?

One of Hemmingway’s polydactyl cats- stock photo

Learn more about the Hemingway cats here.

🌍 Why We Celebrate

International Cat Day isn’t just about pampering our pets—it’s a call to action. With over 600 million cats worldwide, many face challenges like homelessness, illness, and neglect. This day encourages:

🏠 Adoption and fostering
💰 Donations to shelters
🧠 Education about feline behavior and care

Whether you’re cuddling your own cat, sharing photos online, or dreaming of a visit to Cat Island or Key West, today is a reminder of the joy and mystery cats bring to our lives.

Banner- photo Credit Deb Neumann

🐱 Final Purrs

From the quiet shores of Aoshima to the literary halls of Hemingway’s home, cats have carved out corners of the world where they are cherished, celebrated, and even worshipped. On International Cat Day, we honor not just their presence—but their power to soothe, inspire, and connect us across cultures.

So go ahead—spoil your cat a little extra today. Somewhere, a six-toed Hemingway cat is doing the same.

Balboa- photo credit Deb Neumann

Arriving in Key West

Good Morning Key West.

We enjoyed breakfast outside at a table on the deck as the ship pulled into Key West. The Sea Gulls are not shy at all. If you have any kind of bird phobia I recommend you stay inside to eat. The birds practically stalked their breakfast walking right down the railing to eye the food on everyone’s plates.

This determine Gull had his eye on Joe’s breakfast

When anyone got up to leave they swooped right down to the table and began picking scraps from the plates. Shooing them away only brought a moment’s respite before they were back again.

Key West Harbor

The ship docked just outside of Mallory Square, the gathering place for all Key West.

It was so early when we headed out that attractions, like the Key West aquarium, were still closed.

Some of the tourist / souvenir shops were just opening up. They probably wanted to take advantage of the hoards of tourist just waiting to come ashore and spend their money.

Even I, who was watching every penny this trip, succumbed to the urge to buy. I picked up a navy blue sarong with a dolphin pattern to wear as a shawl to dinner. It gets quite cool in the dining room.

Joe and I wandered down Duval St where I took the mandatory picture of Earnest Hemingway’s hideout…Sloppy Joe’s.

We peeked in at the lighthouse grounds where life sized statues straight from Renoir paintings danced around the court yard.

It was clear to see that Key West still had a love affair going with the chickens.

They run wild in the streets and are tolerated everywhere. Roosters crow all day, not just at dawn.

Outside of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church we spotted a couple of baby chicks.

The other creatures that Key West is known for are the Hemmingway cats. Descended from a polydactyl cat owned by Earnest Hemmingway there are now dozens of cats that make the Hemingway house home.

As any good cat lady will do, I went to visit the cats but admission was cash only and since the boat is a Cashless Experience, I wasn’t carrying any cash. Joe didn’t have any either. We hung around outside and chatted with one of the street vendors for awhile before heading back to Mallory Square.

Mallory Square is the heart and soul of Key West. During the day it’s a just a pier where locals come to fish or paint or just sit and watch the waves but come evening the crowds will gather to watch the sun set into the ocean and the square will be alive with street entertainment.

Mallory Square gave me a great view of the ship too. The size of the Imagination is amazing.

While I was photographing the ship a couple of hungry pelicans swooped in to see what they could fine for lunch. They zoned in on a young boy’s fish catch going so far as to steal a fish right off the line as he tried to reel it in.

We were looking for a place for Joe to get a signature dish of Key West and I don’t mean Conch Fritters. No he wanted the original Key Lime pie. Although we wandered quite a few streets he couldn’t find the shop he was looking for. It’s been a long time…13 years…so who knows if it’s even still around. Finally as we were heading back to the ship he settled on Key Lime on a stick, an ice cream version.

Some things have changed from the Key West I remember. It is even more touristy than I remember. Back in 2000 they had 1 trolley line

and the little Conch train for sight seeing

and the Bone Island bus line for getting around the island. Now there are 2 trolley lines and a duck tour all added to the mix. The shop owners don’t just wait for you to wander in. No, now many of them “hawk” their wares as you walk by the shops.

The presidential palace, a summer home for several past presidents, is still a great place to tour but we were told that the Fisher Museum of salvaged shipwreck treasure had relocated.

We didn’t have time to make it to Smather’s Beach or the monument at the Southern Most Point but we did spot mile marker 0 for the end of Route 1.

And speaking of Route 1, we stopped for a breather across from the Green Parrot which claims the be the last and first bar and grill on Route 1. Joe could get a wifi signal there so he could check his e-mails. It’s harder being “unplugged” than expected.

The weather stayed nice for our meanderings in Key West but it was soon time to head back to the Ship. The ship would be casting off to begin it’s cruise to Cozumel, Mexico and we didn’t want to be left behind.