Ernest Hemingway Cats: 15 Cozy DIY Cat Spots Inspired by His Famous Six Toed Key West Crew

Ernest Hemingway cats still own the famous writer’s old house in Key West, Florida, and they live like little kings. Dozens of them nap on beds, stretch across porches and stroll through the gardens, and about half have extra toes, so their paws look like soft mittens. Legend says, as the Ernest Hemingway House story goes, they all come from a white six toed cat named Snow White, a gift from a sea captain. You do not need a Florida mansion to spoil your own cat, though. With a few old baskets, crates, cushions and a free afternoon, you can build the same sunny, relaxed island comfort at home. Here are cozy DIY cat spots inspired by Hemingway’s famous crew, and every one is easy enough for a weekend..

Ernest Hemingway Cats Window Basket Bed

Picture a cat stretched out in a sunny window, just like the Ernest Hemingway cats that doze on the sills of his Key West home. A wicker basket on a wide ledge gives your cat that same front row seat to birds, palms and passing neighbors. Add a soft cushion and a little wooden crate below as a step, and the whole corner turns into a cat lounge. It costs almost nothing and looks lovely in any bright room. Which window in your house gets the best morning sun..

You will need: a wide wicker basket, a thick round cushion, a small wooden crate, non slip shelf liner.

How to make it: 1. Measure your window ledge and pick a basket that sits flat with room to spare. 2. Lay non slip liner under the basket so it never slides. 3. Add the cushion and place the crate below as a step up.

Old Suitcase Cat Bed

That battered suitcase in the attic has one more trip left in it. Open it wide, screw four short furniture legs to the bottom, and drop in a plush pillow. Suddenly you have a raised cat bed with real old world charm, the kind of thing you might spot in a writer’s bedroom by the sea. Cats love the low sides because they can curl up and still keep an eye on the room. Do you have an old case that deserves a second life?

You will need: an old hard suitcase, four short furniture legs with mounting plates, screws, a pillow that fits inside.

How to make it: 1. Wipe the suitcase clean and remove the lid hinges if you want it open flat. 2. Screw the leg plates into the corners of the base (ask an adult helper for the drill). 3. Add the pillow and tuck a favorite blanket on top.

Typewriter Desk Cat Perch

Hemingway often wrote standing up at his typewriter, and he adored having cats around. Give your own cat a spot right beside your desk with a simple wall shelf at desk height topped with a woven mat. Your cat gets to supervise every email and you get a purring office buddy who stays off the keyboard. It is one of the easiest ideas in this list and takes about half an hour. Would your cat rather watch you work or nap through it?

You will need: one sturdy wood shelf board, two strong brackets, wall anchors, a small woven mat, double sided carpet tape.

How to make it: 1. Find a wall stud beside your desk and mark the shelf height level with the desktop. 2. Fix the brackets and shelf with anchors (adult help for drilling). 3. Tape the woven mat on top so paws can grip.

Ernest Hemingway Cats Style Crate House

A wooden fruit crate turned on its side makes a perfect little cottage, and painted in seafoam green it feels straight out of the Ernest Hemingway cats garden in Key West. Cut a round doorway in one end, sand every edge until it is smooth, and slide a striped cushion inside. Shy cats love having a cave with a view. You can stack two crates later to make a duplex for a second cat. What color would you paint yours?

You will need: a wooden crate, sandpaper, pet safe water based paint, a jigsaw, a cushion.

How to make it: 1. Sand the crate well and wipe off the dust. 2. Draw a round doorway on one side and have an adult cut it with a jigsaw, then sand the edge smooth. 3. Paint two coats, let it dry fully for a day, and add the cushion.

Ottoman With a Hidden Cat Cave

This one feels like a magic trick. From the sofa it looks like a pretty tropical print ottoman, but one side has a round opening that leads to a fleece lined cave inside. Your cat gets a private hideout and your living room stays tidy. Start with a cheap storage ottoman or a plywood box, then wrap it in bright palm leaf fabric for that island feel. Guests never guess until a pair of eyes peeks out. Would your cat claim it on day one?

You will need: a storage ottoman or plywood cube, foam pad, palm print fabric, staple gun, fleece, a jigsaw.

How to make it: 1. Mark a round hole on one side and let an adult cut it with a jigsaw. 2. Pad the top with foam and wrap the outside in fabric, stapling it inside. 3. Line the inside with fleece and fold the fabric neatly around the opening.

Tropical Print Cushion Nook

In Key West the Ernest Hemingway cats choose the sunniest, softest place in the house, and you can make that place on purpose. A low bench piled with palm leaf print cushions under a shuttered window becomes the coziest nook in your home. Cats adore soft spots raised just off the floor. The best part is that you can share it with them and read a book on the other end. Who will win the warm side of the bench at your house?

You will need: a low wooden bench, two or three outdoor cushions in a tropical print, a washable throw, a small side table.

How to make it: 1. Set the bench under a sunny window away from drafts. 2. Pile on the cushions and add a washable throw on top for easy cleaning. 3. Put a small side table next to it for your coffee and book.

Ernest Hemingway Cats Ladder Lounge

Cats love to climb, and the Ernest Hemingway cats are famous for draping themselves over every high spot they can find. An old wooden step ladder set in a cozy corner makes a simple, good looking cat climber. Tie small padded seat cushions to a few rungs so each step becomes a lounge. It fills an empty corner with style and gives your cat a safe lookout. Which corner of your home needs a little height?

You will need: an old wooden ladder, three small seat pads with ties, wall brackets or a strap, sandpaper.

How to make it: 1. Sand any rough spots on the ladder. 2. Open it fully, lock the spreader, and strap the top to the wall so it can never tip. 3. Tie the seat pads to the rungs you want as resting spots.

Porch Cat Bench

The Hemingway house has a wide shady porch where the Ernest Hemingway cats nap through the warm afternoons. A painted porch bench with an outdoor cushion and a little cat bed tucked at one end gives your own porch that same lazy feeling. Pale blue paint keeps it light and beachy. If your cat stays indoors, the same bench works in a sunroom or by a patio door. Is your porch more of a cat spot or a people spot right now?

You will need: a small wooden bench, exterior paint in pale blue, an outdoor cushion, a small cat bed.

How to make it: 1. Sand the bench and paint two coats of exterior paint. 2. Let it dry fully, then place it in a shady, sheltered spot. 3. Add the outdoor cushion and set a small cat bed at one end.

Side Table Feeding Station

Cat bowls on the floor get kicked, spilled and pushed around, so give them a proper home. A small side table with two round holes cut in the top holds the bowls at a comfy height and keeps the floor clean. Paint it to match your kitchen and set a woven mat underneath for crumbs. It is a small upgrade that makes feeding time feel neat and calm. How many times a day do you pick up a sliding bowl?

You will need: a small wooden side table, two ceramic bowls with a lip, a jigsaw, sandpaper, paint, a woven mat.

How to make it: 1. Trace the bowls upside down on the tabletop, then draw a circle slightly smaller inside each. 2. Have an adult cut the holes with a jigsaw and sand them smooth. 3. Paint, let it cure, and drop in the bowls.

Ernest Hemingway Cats Water Fountain Stand

Many cats drink more when water moves, and the garden fountains at the Hemingway home are a favorite stop for the resident Ernest Hemingway cats. You can make an indoor version with a short painted stool, a wide ceramic bowl and a small pet fountain pump. Raising the bowl keeps it clean and easy to reach. Place it near a window so your cat can sip and watch the birds. Does your cat prefer the tap over the bowl?

You will need: a short wooden stool, a wide ceramic bowl, a small pet fountain pump made for cats, paint.

How to make it: 1. Paint the stool and let it dry. 2. Set the bowl on top and place the pet pump inside, following its own instructions. 3. Rinse and refill the bowl every day and clean the pump weekly.

Hand Painted Name Bowls

Hemingway gave his cats big names, and the museum still names its cats after famous people today, from movie stars to writers. Bring that fun home with hand painted bowls showing your own cat’s name. Use plain ceramic bowls and food safe ceramic paint, keep the design on the outside, and bake them following the paint label. Little palm leaves or paw prints make them extra sweet. For more gift ideas for cat people, see our cat lover Christmas gifts. What famous name would suit your cat?

You will need: plain ceramic bowls, food safe ceramic paint pens, rubbing alcohol, an oven.

How to make it: 1. Wipe each bowl with rubbing alcohol so the paint sticks. 2. Paint the name and small designs on the outside only. 3. Let them dry, then bake as the paint label says, and hand wash after.

Sisal Table Leg Scratcher

Instead of a bulky scratching post, wrap the leg of an old side table or plant stand in sisal rope. Your cat gets a satisfying scratch spot and the furniture looks like a nautical piece from a seaside cottage. It suits the island look perfectly and saves your sofa. A dot of glue every few rounds keeps the rope tight for months. Which piece of furniture is your cat already scratching?

You will need: an old side table or plant stand, natural sisal rope, a hot glue gun, scissors.

How to make it: 1. Glue the rope end at the bottom of the leg (adult help with the hot glue). 2. Wrap the rope tightly upward, adding a dot of glue every few turns. 3. Glue and tuck the end at the top and let it set before use.

Ernest Hemingway Cats Plant Shelf Lookout

Key West cats spend their days watching lizards and birds through leafy windows. A wide window shelf with a few pet safe plants such as spider plants, cat grass or a parlor palm gives your cat that same jungle view. Keep the middle of the shelf clear as a seat and put the pots at the ends. Always check plants are safe for cats before buying, because lilies and some common houseplants are not. What does your cat watch most from the window?

You will need: a deep wall shelf or wide sill, two strong brackets, pet safe plants, a small mat.

How to make it: 1. Fit a deep shelf under a sunny window with strong brackets (adult help). 2. Place pet safe plants at each end in heavy pots. 3. Lay a small mat in the middle as the lookout seat.

Shuttered Cabinet Cat Hideaway

Louvered shutters are everywhere in Key West, and an old shuttered cabinet makes a gorgeous hidden cat room. Take off one door or cut a small arch in the side, add a cushion inside, and your cat has a cool, airy den. The slats let air move through while keeping the space dim and calm. On the outside it just looks like stylish island furniture. Have you ever seen a cabinet at a yard sale that would work?

You will need: an old louvered cabinet, a cushion, sandpaper, paint, a jigsaw if adding an arch.

How to make it: 1. Sand and paint the cabinet in a soft white or sea green. 2. Remove one lower door or have an adult cut a small arch in the side. 3. Add the cushion and leave the cabinet against a wall so it cannot tip.

Ernest Hemingway Cats Driftwood Tree

Finish with a showpiece that feels pulled from the beach. A sturdy driftwood branch set into a heavy base, with round wooden platforms and sisal wrapped sections, makes a cat tree that looks like art. It brings the relaxed island look of the Hemingway home into any room. Pick smooth, solid wood and fix every platform firmly. Which of these cozy cat spots will you build first?

You will need: a large clean driftwood branch, a heavy wooden base, two round wooden platforms, sisal rope, screws, carpet pads.

How to make it: 1. Scrub and dry the branch fully, then fix it into the heavy base with long screws (adult help). 2. Screw the platforms to strong forks in the branch and cover them with carpet pads. 3. Wrap the lower trunk in sisal and test that nothing wobbles.