Move over, dog people.
Hundreds of people turned out in D.C.’s Petworth neighborhood Saturday for a walking tour where the stars were the area cats.
The Petworth Pretty Kitties Cat Crawl was created by Valerie Moore, the D.C. content creator behind Not Bored in DC, which highlights unusual things to do around the District.
“Cat people are feeling very neglected,” Moore said. “We have a lot of, like, dog bars in D.C. but nothing really for cats.”
Inspired by the Wedge Cat Tour in Minneapolis, Moore launched the event in May after waiting for someone to bring a similar concept to the nation’s capital. She said the first was successful enough to lead to another, with plans to make it an annual event.
Fifteen tour guides escorted about 400 people to 20 different homes that signed up to showoff their feline family members.
Among those exploring on his own was Spencer Douglas, who came from Mount Rainier, Maryland, pushing Artemis riding in a stroller. Douglas said he took the cat as a stray kitten.
“I’ve been with him ever since. He’s my buddy right here,” Douglas said. “This is the first time I’ve ever seen anything like this.”
Many participants shared that excitement.
Ashley Ramirez of Annapolis, and her friend Layla Luzuriaga, of Columbia, Maryland, brought their cats Princess and Nami, to the event in strollers. The pair were dressed in sweaters and pearls.
Ramirez said the cats enjoy the ‘bling’ and meeting other animals.
“They love them,” Ramirez said. “My kids [cats] need to make friends.”
At Grant Circle, a crowd gathered outside the home of Debbie Jansen and Chris Jackson, where poster boards told the stories behind the couple’s cats.
“It’s incredible. I didn’t know so many people in this neighborhood enjoyed cats so much,” Jansen said. “Our cats are not maybe as thrilled with it as them.”
Jansen told WTOP she stayed inside her home, talking through a screened window while holding up one of her cats for attendees to see.
Jackson said Chili, Gizmo, Birdie and Memo all arrived at the home as strays. He added that Petworth has long had community and feral cats, which have helped control the neighborhood’s rat population.
After the crawl, Moore told WTOP the turnout exceeded her expectations. She was also thrilled that her parents traveled from Philadelphia for it, and the Humane Rescue Alliance brought an adoption van with cats seeking homes.
“It’s really been something special to see everyone come together for it,” Moore said.
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