Hi friends! Reef the fox here with your weekly “Reef’s Report.” This week I have a bit of a history lesson and interview all rolled into one.
A few weeks ago I sat down with one of the world-famous Hemingway Home cats, Sloppy Joe, named after (Sloppy) Joe Russell. Russell, a Conch born and raised in Key West, was a charter boat captain who ran a 32-foot cruiser called the “Anita.” Eventually he became Hemingway’s boat pilot and was the author’s fishing companion for more than 12 years. In his company, Hemingway once caught an astonishing 54 marlins in 115 days.
Today, visitors who flock to Key West often seek out Sloppy Joe’s Bar, which is a staple on Duval Street in the heart of Key West.
Hemingway’s love of cats began when Hemingway was given a white six-toed kitten by Capt. Stanley Dexter, after Hemingway had admired the captain’s own six-toed feline, Snowball, at a local bar in 1935. Hemingway’s sons named the kitten Snow White, and that started the theme of Hemingway naming all of his cats after famous people. The tradition continues today at Hemingway Home and Museum on Whitehead Street in Key West.
Reef: Should I call you “Sloppy,” “Joe” or “Mr. Russell?” Sloppy seems too informal, Joe is a mediocre name for a regal beast such as yourself and Mr. Russell sounds too formal. How about SJ?
SJ: SJ is perfect, Reef. I think I’ll have my caretakers at the museum start using it as well.
Reef: So SJ, I see that you have some extra toes on your front feet? I think that is pretty cool. I’m missing a few toes on my front paw so I think we are kindred spirits somehow. Tell me about the extra toes.
SJ: Cats normally have five front toes and four back toes. About half of the cats at the museum have the physical polydactyl trait but they all carry the polydactyl gene in their DNA, which means that the ones that have four and five toes can still mother or father six-toed kittens. As you can see I have six toes on both front feet.
Reef: Woah, that’s pretty awesome. So I found you today hanging out by the back gate at the museum. Is this your favorite spot to be?
SJ: Why, yes. I like to monitor the comings and goings here at the back gate, watch the chickens walk by on the sidewalk and visit with the employees when they are on break back here. I am also an expert at playing fetch with my favorite glitter ball toy and the employees love watching a cat play fetch. I mean, who wouldn’t?
Reef: Fair enough! I like watching squirrels in the trees at my home so I totally get it. I noticed you have a sign here that says “Bring Back Snacks.” Can you elaborate on that?
SJ: Well, you see, Reef, a while back, cat treats were banned here at the museum after some of us started indulging but not exercising enough to keep our feline figures, so the humans took a vote to stop handing out snacks to the cats. So I have started a campaign to bring back snacks and was elected union president because of my initiative.
Reef: I have run a few successful campaigns myself and it seems that animals are always much better at it than humans, so I have no doubt you will get your snacks back.
* Special thanks to the Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum for allowing my mother, Nicole Navarro, exclusive access to Sloppy Joe.
