116 3rd St SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
Kitty Walk draws crowd of feline admirers through Iowa City’s Northside neighborhood
New event replicates annual Minneapolis tour
Sep. 28, 2024 5:30 am, Updated: Sep. 28, 2024 11:25 am
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IOWA CITY — The group looking through Iowa City windows on Saturday weren’t “peeping Toms,” but they were out en masse to take a gander at some tomcats.
The Iowa City Kitty Walk’s debut on Sept. 21 drew a crowd of about 75 people for a catwalk of a different kind.
They weren’t toting cats on leashes or in carriers. Rather, the feline fanatics — many dressed in cat-themed clothing — met cats at home stops over a milelong route through the Northside neighborhood.
“People love to show off their cats, but they don’t get as much acknowledgment as dogs because you can walk your dogs in public,” said resident Laura Kerr, who organized the route with husband Aaron Moseley.
Staging the route
As the throng gathered at the intersection of Lucas and Market streets, attendees on Saturday morning greeted each other as naturally as they would on any other holiday.
“Happy Kitty Walk Day,” Cedar Rapids resident Molly Monk said as she greeted friends, repeating the refrain others were saying before she arrived.
Led by a “CAT TOUR” sign and followed by Kerr’s mother in a Garfield costume, each stop was narrated in the words of cat owners who signed up to be part of the route.
Lady Cat, the featured feline of the first stop, was described as a “rotten little stinker,” who has lived as far away as Virginia. She loves many things, “but not people,” Kerr said through a bullhorn.
As the crowd got a glimpse of its first attraction, the brown tabby looked at the crowd through the window with a neutral expression quite generous for an introvert — right below window signage of her name that was far more expressive than she was. A round of applause erupts before the crowd continues.
Why they joined
Along the way, passersby crane their necks, park their cars and join the parade.
Iowa City resident Laura MacRowski, whose attention was flagged by Garfield, happened upon the event while driving to another errand. She was elated to discover a crowd of happy cat enthusiasts.
“Somebody said something about dogs, and yeah — I love them both — but so many more people reached out to me when I had a dog. I think people just don’t see the personality (in cats,)” she said. “It was like I was more normal once I got my dog. Before that, it was like ‘oh, you’re a crazy old cat lady.’ ”
They move on to gawk at Captain Jimothy, a black cat held by children who loves watching birds and rabbits from the window, doing tricks and licking plastic bags.
Then comes Eggs — short for Eggory — who is described as “a buff-colored garbage boy.” His owners, out of town that day, highlighted his favorite observation window with a hand-drawn sign bearing his name.
Jerry, a cat with lots of nicknames, was introduced by a collage of his many poses at the bottom of his front steps. But what made him memorable was his confirmed kill count: four chipmunks.
“Jerry! Jerry! Jerry!” the crowd cheers in a duosyllabic chant.
Through about 10 stops, Corridor residents laughed and cooed in adoration as true tales narrated the unsung heroes of domestic life — personifying creatures who have found their forever home or have been reunited with other cats after years apart. As children stroke longhaired residents on porches and in crates, others serve as a paragon for selfless love, defying aloof stereotypes.
“I thought that these might be my people. I think I’m right,” said Becka Klaver, whose cat, Sylvia, loves Barry Manilow albums.
Clad in a thrifted dress polka-dotted with cat faces, she joined the route after the crowd stopped to give some love to her cat. Retreating further into the house, Sylvia politely indicated that the feeling wasn’t mutual.
Building community
The event, which appears to be the first of its kind in Iowa, was inspired by a cat tour in Minneapolis that made national headlines after turning into an annual oddity.
But it’s not just about the cats; it’s about what they deliver to so many pet owners.
“We need more ‘little joy’ things,” Kerr said, explaining her inspiration to organize the event. “I thought instead of waiting for someone to do it, I’d just do it.”
After starting an Instagram page for the event, her Google form gathered responses from those interested in being part of the route.
Brooke Tarvin and Matt Benson, Jerry’s parents, added their house to the route as a way to get more involved in a neighborhood they’re new to.
“This is so creative, and it’s another way Iowa City creates ways for community, which I think is brilliant,” said Tarvin. “It’s a lower stakes way to get involved and have some fun.”
Benson appreciated a way for cat owners to “geek out.”
Jen Knights, one of the last stops on the route, showcased her family’s five mostly longhaired cats who posed in loving arms on their porch as the crowd offered oohs and ahhs to each. Next to them, an illustrated poster with names offered a helpful reference point for each attendee.
Anyone who has visited their house gets an earful about Enzo, Omar, Vanessa, Nutmeg and Jocelyn, who range in age from 6 to 17. Knights appreciated the chance not just to brag about her family’s fur babies, but connect around a feel-good activity “that’s not controversial.”
Residents in their household “medicate daily” to continue living with the fastidious creatures they love, despite allergies.
“Cats are definitely underappreciated in the public realm,” Knights said. “People who don’t like cats haven’t met the good ones yet.”
At the route’s conclusion, the cat walkers lined up to pose for photos with Garfield.
Comments: Features reporter Elijah Decious can be reached at (319) 398-8340 or elijah.decious@thegazette.com.
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