How the USDA spends money.....

This was posted on the Key West Trip Advisor board 7/7/07 from the local news paper.....

By Mandy Bowlen
Citizen Staff

In an effort to protect the legendary six-toed cats that roam the property at the Hemmingway Home and Museum, and keep them out of cages, the Key West City Commission on Tuesday made an exception to a city law that prohibits more than four domestic animals per household. The ordinanace specifically allows the City Commission to make exceptions "for premises upon which are kept domestic animals of historical, social or tourism siginificance." "This exception just reflects that we are handling the opportunity to be sure the cats at the Hemmingway House are being treated well and are not in cages," Mayor Morgan McPherson said.

The cats came under fire last year by the U.S. Departnment of Agriculture, which clams the museum is an "exibitor" of cats and therefore needs a special license form the agency required of buisinesses that use animals in commerce. Cara Higgins, an attorney representing the Hemmingway House, has said the USDA license applies to animals in circuses, not those a part of historic museum. "The family of polydactyl cats that live on the property are an integral part of the history and ambiance of the Hemmingway House," states the city ordinance commissioners approved at Tuesday's meeting. "The cats reside on the property just as the cats did in the time of Hemminway himself. They are not on exhibition in the manner of circus animals.

..... The City Commission finds that the family of polydactyl Hemmingway cats are indeed animals of historic, social, and tourism significance." The commission voted 5-1 to approve the exception. Commissioner Harry Bethel was absent, and Commissioner Bill Verge dissented, pointing out that claims the polydactyl cats were not on the Whitehead Street property when author Ernest Hemmingway lived there. "The cat myth is nice and is good for tourism, but I'm reluctant to pass legislation based on myth," Verge said Tuesday. "Patrick Hemmingway, Hemmingway's second son, does not recall cats on the property." The famous relative said as much in a recently published media interview. Verge jokingly went on to point out that Hemmingway "was a bull person, so perhaps we should have six or seven bulls there to demonstrate Hemmingway."

The USDA battle continues, and the government plans to send a cat behavorist to the museum at the end of the month to judge the animals' physical and mental well-being.

mbolen@keysnews.com

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Does the USDA really not have anything else to do with their time and money!?! i am in absolute shock that this is even an issue. First of all, Bill Verge is just annoying in his above listed attempt at an analogy, and sounds uneducated at best. Second, history or no history, the 6 toed creatures have become a part of the pop-culture view of the Hemmingway House. The cats may attract a visitor to the property that may have skipped a visit, hence skipping an abbreviated history lesson, and any revenue associated with the visit.

i realize that "any revenue" is exactly what the USDA is after, but at the same time they are making an attempt at destroying a valued historical attraction. All of the cats are spayed or neutered with the exception of a select few to maintain the family, and they are all very well cared for. Keeping them in cages is absolutely insane.

When i think Key West, i think Jimmy Buffet, Hemmingway & cats, beer & bars, and random roaming poultry (which i'm suprised isn't also tied into this issue, but that's another blog.)

The USDA can back the effff out of the Hemmingway House, and find something better to do, like prevent the next E-coli outbreak, and leave the cats alone.