Somerville Cat Tour: Bringing a Global Feline Adventure to Our Streets

I’ve been watching the cat tour craze unfold in other cities with a mix of amusement and envy. When photos from Minneapolis and Toronto started popping up in my feed, I fell in love with the idea immediately. Neighbors walking together to meet the cats that make their community special. The Minneapolis tour drew a crowd big enough to surprise even the organizers. The Canadian one turned into a mini street festival, complete with handmade signs and kids handing out homemade cat cookies. People weren’t just strolling; they were connecting, chatting at each stop, swapping stories about their pets, and smiling at cats who normally watch the world from a window. 

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What Makes a Cat Tour?

A cat tour is exactly what it sounds like: a guided wander through neighbourhood streets where the focus is on the cats who live there. Instead of a self‑guided map, participants meet at a set time and walk together. In Minneapolis and Canada, volunteers printed out route maps and even gave short introductions at each stop. It was less like a scavenger hunt and more like a relaxed block party, with conversations and laughter along the way.

After seeing how much joy these tours brought to those communities, I started wondering if Somerville could do the same. We already have a reputation for quirky events and neighborly spirit. Why not celebrate our cats, too?

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Somerville’s First Cat Tour

I’m excited to say that we’re giving it a try. Tandem Vet Care has scheduled a two‑hour Somerville Cat Tour on Saturday, November 22, 2025. This won’t be an impromptu, self‑guided thing—you’ll join a group and stroll together for about two hours. The walk starts at 1 p.m. and wraps up around 3 p.m., so there’s plenty of time to chat, meet each other’s cats, and maybe grab a coffee along the way. It’s free to participate, and it’s open to all ages .

The route itself is still being finalized because we want to include as many local cats as possible. The finalized route will be announced to attendees closer to the date. Each stop will feature a cat who has been nominated by its human. We’ll introduce the cats, share a few fun facts about them, and give everyone a chance to say hello (from a respectful distance, of course-no stressing out the kitties!).

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Why We’re Doing This

For us at Tandem Vet, pets are part of the fabric of a neighborhood. We’ve long believed that veterinary care goes beyond exam rooms. Our community events, like storytimes at local libraries and preschool visits, have always been about helping kids and families connect with animals and learn about pet health in hands-on ways. A cat tour feels like the next natural extension of that mission.

The bigger inspiration, though, is the sense of connection these tours created elsewhere. When Minneapolis hosted its event, participants said the best part wasn’t just the cats; it was meeting neighbours they’d never talked to before. Canadian cat parents wrote that their favourite moment was when a shy indoor cat poked his head out of a window to see what all the fuss was about. Those small interactions made a regular Saturday feel special. I’d love to see Somerville experience something similar.

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How You Can Join or Feature Your Cat

We’re inviting anyone in Somerville to be part of this. If you want to walk with us and meet the cats, simply reserve a free spot on the Eventbrite page and mark November 22 on your calendar. Bring your curiosity and maybe a camera. We’ll have route maps and volunteers to guide the tour.

If you’re a local cat parent and think your kitty belongs on the tour, we’d love to hear from you. You can sign up or nominate your cat at the link below:

Register or Feature Your Cat

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Let’s See If Somerville Loves a Cat Tour as Much as We Do

This isn’t about turning Somerville into a tourist attraction. It’s about creating a small, joyful experience for our community and the cats we love. If turnout is anything like Minneapolis and Canada, our streets will be filled with people who can’t stop smiling. And if it’s a quiet stroll with a handful of neighbours, that will be wonderful, too. Either way, I’m excited to see how this idea resonates here.

Sign up, spread the word, and let’s spend an afternoon celebrating the cats of Somerville together. If this goes well, who knows? Maybe we’ll make it an annual tradition.

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