Cat tour of Minneapolis neighborhood draws hundreds

A cat peers out from its perch on a porch along the Wedge Cat Tour in Minneapolis.

They say every dog has its day, but in the Wedge neighborhood of Minneapolis, cats get one too.

About 300 people turned out for the 5th annual Wedge Cat Tour, where they walked about a mile-and-a-half to check out about three dozen felines in windows, porches and front yards.

"I'm a cat lover," said Barb Wentland. "I love cats and I'm like we gotta go check this out."

"[My dog] likes cats and I told him where I was going and he was going and he asked if he could come too and I said you have to come," said Suzy Travis. "I came all the way back to the city to see kitty cats."

Last year’s tour was online-only because of the pandemic.

"It’s good to get back out there looking at cats after last year," said John Edward, the cat tour organizer. "Last year's tour was virtual, so we didn't have a big turnout, but it’s good to get back out there."

Edwards says he started the cat tour to make fun of historic home tours in the neighborhood, but the event turned out to have nine lives.

"People love cats," he said. "It's a wholesome event. It's fun. It gets you out in a nice neighborhood to appreciate the buildings. It has all those things going for it."

For some, it’s the purr-fect opportunity to see their furry friends take center stage.

"You get to be around other cat people," said Wentland. "They should have more cat things here."

For others, the tour is the cat's meow.

"A pleasant evening," said Travis. "I'm not looking for much - just a nice night to walk around and look at cats and nice houses, too."