Minneapolis Wedge's 'cat tour' goes purrfectly again this year

It was a cat-lover’s dream Wednesday night in Minneapolis’ Lowry Hill East neighborhood — known as “the Wedge” — where hundreds strolled the sidewalks to admire and cheer for cats positioned in window sills and on porches as part of the seventh annual Wedge LIVE cat tour.

Audrey Cashmore, who lives with her husband in a first-floor apartment on Colfax Avenue, was holding up her cat Parsnip in the window to the delight of a dozen people who were taking pictures.

“It’s unexpected but adorable; I love seeing people be excited about cats,” she said.

Two stories above Cashmore, another of the apartment complex’s tenants showed off a cat named Romeow, who was illuminated by the late-afternoon glow.

The cat tour is organized each year by John Edwards, founder of local news website Wedge LIVE. The tour started at Mueller Park, with a mob of people moving north on Colfax Avenue towards Franklin Avenue before looping back south on Aldrich Avenue. It included 22 planned cat displays at homes along the route, and featured many cats brought along in strollers, backpacks or on leashes. Some of the walkers yelled with joy when they discovered “bonus” cats being shown off by apartment tenants who had no prior knowledge of the event and held their cats up in the window.

Some of the cat owners put up signs on their houses to let the visitors know their furry friend’s personality. Liz Greene, who was holding her 15-year old cat Thumper on their porch, said this was her first time taking part in the tour after hearing rave reviews from her friends.

“I thought, ‘I have to do this,’ and ‘How cool is it I live in a place where other people appreciate cats, too?’” Greene said.

Asked what they enjoy most about the cat tour, several attendees said it’s the sense of community that comes with exploring the neighborhood and chatting with others over their shared love of cats.

Some cats handled the massive amounts of attention and petting better than others. Brent Seager, who was holding his partner’s 16-year-old brown cat named Truman, said he was proud of how calm the cat was despite having more than 15 people come up to pet him.

“He’s scared of everything but he did very well,” Seager said. “He is shaking a little bit now, though.”

Edwards said he thinks this might be the largest turnout, and noted there were 22 people who signed up their cats for displays. Since it was first started, Edwards said he’s been amazed with the growth since the event began with just a couple dozen attendees.

“People sincerely enjoy it, and it has transitioned a bit from a joke to a sincere good time and a sweet event.”