Cats at Ernest Hemingway home in Key West to weather Hurricane Irma

The Hemingway Home Museum in Key West is prepared for Hurricane Irma on Sept. 7, 2017. Executive director Dave Gonzalez said the 54 cats will be cared for by 10 staff members staying behind to weather the hurricane. The cats will have access to shelter during the storm. less The Hemingway Home Museum in Key West is prepared for Hurricane Irma on Sept. 7, 2017. Executive director Dave Gonzalez said the 54 cats will be cared for by 10 staff members staying behind to weather the ... more Photo: Hemingway Home Museum Photo: Hemingway Home Museum Image 1 of / 18 Caption Close Cats at Ernest Hemingway home in Key West to weather Hurricane Irma 1 / 18 Back to Gallery

As people evacuate the Florida Keys ahead of Hurricane Irma's anticipated landfall on the Sunshine State, a handful of people and 54 cats will weather the storm at Ernest Hemingway's former home.

The six-toed cats of the Hemingway Home Museum will be free to come and go between the hurricane-proof buildings as Irma sweeps across the islands. While some may be concerned for that cats' safety, the museum's executive director Dave Gonazlez said the felines are quite adept at surviving storms that hit Key West.

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"Cats know naturally when to go. As soon as the barometric pressure drops, they come in," Gonzalez told Chron.com. "They know before humans do when it's time to get in."

Gonzalez noted the Hemingway home has never lost a cat to a hurricane.

The author's former home serves as a museum where polydactyl cats - six toes - roam freely. Some of the cats are said to be descendants of Hemingway's own six-toed cat.

Each of the buildings at the museum will have entrances for the cats. The bathrooms will have chairs and benches for the cats to escape to. They also have drains inside of them, keeping the cats from potentially drowning while they seek shelter.

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"We have 10 employees on staff who will be staying here for 24 hours a day," Gonzalez said. "We're stocked up on food, water, supplies and medication for the cats."

Gonzalez, who is staying in the Florida Keys while a majority of residents have evacuated, said he expects Hemingway's home to be fine during the hurricane. Built in 1851, the home of the famous author has 18-inch thick limestone, allowing it to withstand dangerous storms. Gonzalez notes the house is 16 feet above sea level, giving it some protection against flooding.

"This isn't our first hurricane. We're here to stay," Gonzalez said.