Kitties take center stage during annual Minneapolis cat tour

Feline aficionados flooded the streets of Lowry Hill East on a wet Thursday, cheering as cats appeared in windows, on front porches and across lawns.

The Wedge Live Cat Tour, an annual guided walk across the neighborhood, showcased dozens of cats for the hundreds who showed up, all within a few hours.

The event kicked off at Mueller Park, where parking was scarce for blocks in each direction. Rain had postponed the event Wednesday, and showers continued most of the day Thursday. But, as the eventgoers began their prowl, the clouds parted.

“I actually flew here from Knoxville, Tennessee, for the cat tour,” Breanna Mommaerts said.

She had seen a post on Instagram about the event and decided she had to see it for herself. Mommaerts knew the crowd would be big, but she was still shocked with how packed the streets were.

The cat tour started in 2017 with around a dozen attendees. It has grown in size every year since and even draws national attention. It has even spawned a copycat event in St. Paul.

During Thursday’s amble, crowds erupted in cheers anytime a cat did something cute, which resulted in constant applause as people held up signs that said, “Show me your cat.” Mommaerts and her friend were both gifted paper plates painted to look like kittens faces.

Mommaerts, like many of the guests Thursday, was a proud cat owner. After around 30 minutes of walking, she and her friend had already seen 20 different felines.

“I just love the crowd, the excitement around it,” she said. “Everyone’s having a good time. And of course, the cats, the first one is just as exciting as the 20th.”

Some stops were decked out with signs listing the cats’ names. Others had long lines as people waited to pet the kitties.

Some attendees even brought their furry friends with them from home. Colleen Riley brought her cat Carl, also known as Carlito Perito, who rode in a stroller. Other kitties rode in backpacks.

A very popular spot on the tour was outside Liz Greene’s house, where people lined up to hang out with her cat Thumper. She cheerfully chatted with onlookers and invited them to take pictures and give pats.

Greene said she’s loved cats since she was a kid, but she used to equate liking cats to spinsterhood. However, the Wedge cat tour showed that sentiment couldn’t be more false, she said.

“This is kinda cool, in like a nerdy cool way. It’s a weird thing, but I’m really glad, especially with the weather, that people still made it,” she said.