Cold and clear here too, Nancy. Got a couple of inches of fresh stuff that needs to be shoveled off the sidewalk and the deck, so I'll venture out a little later. Not sure about the driveway yet.

I may know what Hemingway cats are. If I am thinking along the right line, it is related to throwing boxcars.

TM

Good morning all :)
Yet another nice dusting of snow this morning. Yuck!
The best thing about snow is how pretty it is right after it falls.
The worse thing about snow, is everything else! lol

My daughter has a Hemingway cat. Her name is chin-chin. I named her that because half her chin is white and the other half black. My daughter name her X-23. female version of the character Wolverine. I didn't like that name. lol. My house, my rules. Chin-Chin is the shortened version on an old Italian toast.

Over the years we've owned a few. they seem to be more adventures in my opinion. I had one many yrs ago that would hide in my kitchen cabinet and close the door behind him. When I'd open the cabinet to get a cup, it would startle me every time. Very naught cat.

Just rambling again
:) Laura

Aaahhh, Laura - tuxedo cats are so cute. Now, I had a black cat that would play peek-a-boo with me - smartest cat I've ever met - he was the Midnight of my name!!

Many still live in and around Hemingway's old home in Key West - saw them once on a cruise stop. TM, not sure what you mean exactly, but Hemingway was quite the pugilist!!

Nancy.

Well, I never heard that term, so I will try to figure out clues.

Cynthia

Well, Cyn, as always, we'll try to get you there!!

A couple of good clues, for me, so far!! lol.

Laura, I was thinking that both of those names for your daughter's cat were good - I was going to name Midnight Satan, then I was worried he might live up to his name!! He was a sweet boy though. Midnight is a common name for black cats....there are many common names for cats - many tuxedos are called Sylvester - mine was. Mittens is another common name - has anyone ever had a cat named 'Mittens'?

Nancy.

Nancy,
good guess :) chin-chin is a tuxedo.
She's the 1st tuxedo cat we've ever owned. I always disliked them until this one was smuggled into my house. (teenagers!) ah but who can resist a kitten? She's almost full size now and such a funny little thing. Loves to play with every thing. A tad too aggressive, as most tuxedo cats are, in my opinion. Luckily she's also a Hemingway that I think, balances out her nature. Excellent hunter too!
:) Laura

The condition seems to be most commonly found in cats along the East Coast of North America (in the United States and Canada) and in South West England, Wales and Kingston-upon-Hull. These cats have been extremely popular as ship's cats. Although there is some controversy over whether the most common variant of the trait originated as a mutation in New England or was brought there from Britain, there seems to be agreement that it spread widely as a result of cats carried on ships originating in Boston, Massachusetts, and the prevalence of this odd condition among the cat population of various ports correlates with the dates when they first established trade with Boston. Contributing to the spread of 'Hemingway' cats by this means, sailors were long known to value them especially for their extraordinary climbing and hunting abilities as an aid in controlling shipboard rodents. Some sailors also considered them to be extremely good luck when at sea. Of course, they weren't always called 'Hemingway' cats. He received one as a gift from a sea captain, and was smitten. It's descendants live on at his Key West home, which is now a museum!!

Nancy.

Aha!!! mittens is bringing something to mind, later. Percy our little miss twinkle toes is sitting in the bathtub right now waiting for someone to turn the tap on. Anyone else have a cat fascinated with playing in the bathtub?

Annette

Nancy, the kind of throwing boxcars I was thinking of could be happening in a lot of places in Las Vegas.

TM

I have a thought. Do they seem more closely related to tigers in behavior?

Cynthia

I'm reading along and have two ideas in mind. There was a movie I recently saw about one of Hemiingway's wives which had a few scenes with his cats running about the place. I also had read about the cats that are still there.

TM, I actually googled 'throwing boxcars', anc could not see a connection - perhaps I am missing something?? That would be so unusual ;-)

Annette, Pita loves moving water!! When I pour water from the Brita into their water-bowl, she must run a puddy through it!! lol - her favourite is my little humidifier - it makes bubbles which are endlessly fascinating to her!! What was the name of the character that Ellen Degeneres voices in Finding Nemo? That would also be a good name for her. Sylvester loved the drip-drip-drip of a leaky tap!!

Bobbie, how can I make your mind up??

Nancy.

My daughter wanted to name her cat X-23. She said she wanted that name, because it was the female version of the character Wolverine in the X-man movies. I didn't like the name. Not cute enough for a kitten.
I'm sure she likes the movies, but I think she was thinking something more.
X-5 would have been a better choice. but not cute enough either.

:) Laura

P.S. before anyone thinks I'm a horrible mother, let me explain. lol. They all called her X-23. and I called her chin-chin. That went on for a few months, but now everyone calls her chin-chin. :)

This post was edited by auntyara on Sun, Mar 17, 13 at 14:05

Nancy - if you couldn't see a connection, then I'm probably off in left field somewhere in the weeds. It's a familiar spot.

TM

A cold snowy one today, TM!! Hmmmm...where to go next?

I am hanging photos in my room - not easy in old plaster, and I cannot find my heavy picture hangers. I am all thumbs, trying to get the screws or nails started and keep dropping them - I have also lost one screw-drill bit. Crap!!

Nancy.

I was thinking of one thing that would give them an advantage in water, but may need to change my mind. There is an extra little something floating around in my brain now, but I still like my first thought too, although that involved cleaning out the cob webs a bit.

Cynthia, who is tramping through the weeds with TM ;)

I think I see where this is going, now. Too many clues were going over my head. I can see how this might help them catch and keep their prey.

DH is getting supplies for the storm coming tonight. Books and groceries. With the storm we will be back in the single digits for lows until Friday. These days the sun still melts the snow even when it is below freezing.

Nancy, are you sure that boxcars isn't connected to the Hemingway cats? A pair of sixes? No connection?

TM

It could be nice to snowshoe in the nice sunshine - something I've always wanted to do!! That ship has probably sailed with my knees, though!!

Nancy.

OK, a pair of sixes might be a configuration!! Sorry, did not see that angle coming!! lol.

Nancy.

That's where I was going too, TM. I think you are very clever-we are obviously not very good gamblers. At first, I was thinking maybe they had webbed toes, but later clues have me betting on you!

Cynthia

lol.

I'm back, my answer is going to be extra toes.

Annette

{{gwi:598742}}

I think we all got there, yes??

A polydactyl cat is a cat with a congenital physical anomaly called polydactyly (or polydactylism, also known as hyperdactyly), a type of cat body type genetic mutation that causes the cat to be born with more than the usual number of toes on one or more of its paws. Nobel Prize-winning author Ernest Hemingway was one of the more famous lovers of polydactyl cats, after being first given a six-toed cat by a ship's captain. Upon Hemingway's death in 1961, his former home in Key West, Florida, became a museum and a home for his cats, and it currently houses approximately fifty descendants of his cats (about half of which are polydactyl). Because of his love for these animals, "Hemingway Kitty Cat", or simply "Hemingway Cat", is a term which has come to describe polydactyls. Nicknames for polydactyl cats include "conch cats", "boxing cats", "mitten cats", "mitten-foot cats", "snowshoe cats", "thumb cats", "six-fingered cats", "Cardi-cats", and "Hemingway cats". Two specific breeds recognized by some but not all cat fancier clubs are the American Polydactyl and Maine Coon Polydactyl, and named regional populations include the Boston thumb cat, Cardi-cat, Ithacat, and Vermont snowshoe cat.
American Polydactyl cats are bred as a specific cat breed, with specific physical and behavioral characteristics in addition to extra digits. The American Polydactyl is not to be confused with the pedigree Maine Coon polydactyl. The polydactyl form of the Maine Coon is being reinstated by some breeders. A particular strain of polydactyl cats native to Ithaca, New York is known as the Ithacat. Polydactyls are very common in the Cardigan area of Wales, where they are known as "Cardi-cats." Genetic work studying the DNA basis of the condition however indicates that many different mutations can all lead to polydactyly and since samples from the UK and USA were shown to possess different mutations it seems likely that these cats have originated multiple times independently, rather than spreading from a single origin.

Normal cats have a total of 18 toes, with five toes on each front paw and four toes on each hind paw; polydactyl cats may have as many as eight digits on their front and/or hind paws. Tiger, a Canadian polydactyl cat with 27 toes(but we hate to brag), was recognised by Guinness World Records as having the highest number of toes on a cat. Various combinations of anywhere from four to seven toes per paw are common, and the number of toes on either the front or rear paws is typically the same. Polydactyly is most commonly found on the front paws only, it is rare for a cat to have polydactyl hind paws only, and polydactyly of all four paws is even less common.

More than you ever wanted to know about 'Hemingway Cats', methinks!! lol.

So for everyone, I think:

Thanks for playing - see you next week!! I've included a cute video about Thumb cats from England. Enjoy.

Nancy.

Here is a link that might be useful: Cats with Thumbs!!

Good one, Nancy. One of my daughters has a six-toed cat. It would be interesting to know if any other animals commonly have polydactyly. I guess that's what Google is for, huh? I'll have to check it out.

Thanks for the fun, Nancy.

TM

Nancy, funny commercial :) thanks for the laugh and the stars!

chin-chin has 5 toes on each rear paw and 6 toes on each front paw. One of her toes on the front has 2 nails. very odd cat, a mutant among mutants. 23 claws in all.
felines are one of the very few animals that have retractable claws.
:) Laura

Thanks for the stars. I love the picture.

Laura, sounds as if you do have a special specimen there! How cool.

Have a marvelous week everyone.

Cynthia