Is the USDA protecting or harming Ernest Hemingway's famed six-toed cats?

Have you ever visited Key West? If not, you really should! It's a lovely, arty, casual place to visit that has a personality that is completely unique. (In this day where big box stores and fast food restaurants make every city look like every other, it's refreshing to find a place that still has its own personality!)

One of Key West's top attractions is the Ernest Hemingway Home. Here you will find the residence where one of the 20th Century's greatest authors lived, wrote, and found inspiration. You will also find 50 six-toed cats, all descendants of a cat the novelist received as a gift in 1935. And that's why the USDA is stepping in.

The USDA is claiming that the Ernest Hemingway Home is an "exhibitor" of cats and needs to have a USDA Animal Welfare License. This would put the home in the same category as zoos and circuses and would likely mean the home would have to cage (or give away) the famous animals.

Although USDA inspectors who have repeatedly visited the property since 2003 have never indicated any concerns about the welfare of the cats, they claim a 6-foot-high, brick-and-mortar fence Hemingway built around the property in 1937 does not sufficiently contain the 53 felines. The historic home is asking a judge to step in to get the USDA to back off.

Now, normally we fall squarely on the side of any agency or organization that wants the best for animals, but in this case we have to ask if this is really in the best interest of the cats. Admittedly, we don't want people randomly taking in 50 cats and letting them roam freely, but if you visit the Ernest Hemingway Home, you'll understand these cats are in their natural habitat. Part of the fun of the visit is to see these cats living as their ancestors have for generations. They are clearly very well cared for and happy with their lives! You might find a cat lounging on the same bed that Hemingway slept in or find one asleep in a flower bed under the shade of a tree.

Most importantly, the tourist site complies with city and county ordinances and really does care for the cats. Just check out the page on their site dedicated to the animals! The photo at right is from their site and is of Show Shoes and Mark Twain. Their site also contains pix of many of the other cats for which they care, including Emily Dickinson, Charlie Chaplin, Audrey Hepburn, Ragamuffin, and Spencer Tracy.

While we respect the USDA for its intentions, we have to ask if this is really the best use of their time and energy. Throughout the country are places where animals are mistreated, and the Ernest Hemingway Home is clearly not one of those places.

So, we hope the USDA folks will come for a visit, check out how much care these animals receive, and then maybe get into the vibe of Key West with a boat drink as the sun sets. We wish the Hemingway Home well in their efforts to allow their cats to act as a living exhibit to the way in which Hemingway lived with his own special, multi-toed cat!

You can read more on CNN. com or visit Ernest Hemingway Home Web site.