November 09, 2026
Michaela Althouse/PhillyVoice
Penn student Yiming Huang poses with Boo, who joined West Philly's inaugural cat walk on Sunday afternoon.
Dozens of cats, and even more humans, took to the streets, sidewalks and front porches of West Philadelphia on Sunday afternoon for a cat walk — a tour of the kitties that like to sit by the front windows of the neighborhood's homes.
Cat walks invite animal lovers to walk around a neighborhood and greet the feline residents sitting by windows, on stoops and on front porches. They've grown more trendy, with similar events being held in Chicago, Minneapolis and Pittsburgh. Walkers can get to know some of the cats in their neighborhood while the animals get to bask in the attention — and possibly score some extra treats.
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In West Philly, pet owners carried their felines outside and held them up to the crowd of onlookers, bribed them with snacks to stay in sight, and posted signs with their cats' names, birthdays and personality traits. One stop on the tour featured a shrine to a calico cat.
Each of the pet owners applied to be featured in the tour ahead of time.
Michelle Goodwin, sat on their front porch with their dog, Apollo, and cats, Neptune and Fifi, for the event. The animals are Goodwin's "pride and joy" and they enjoyed getting to show them off for the neighborhood.
"I love animals, I have three of them, and I just think it's a really great idea for people to hang out and meet up and get to know each other outside of the internet," Goodwin said.
Walkers either followed a tour guided by Floop Events, or strolled at their own speed, following a map of participating homes. The tour began at Clark Park and encompassed homes from Pine Street to Chester Avenue and 43rd to 51st streets.
Some walkers brought their pets in carriers, backpacks and strollers, allowing them to join in the fun.
University of Pennsylvania student Yiming Huang brought her cat, Boo, to the walking tour in a carrier. The University City resident said she went to a similar tour in Pittsburgh, and wanted to try out a local one, too.
"I've never walked over to this side of West Philly, so it's also been an exploration while also seeing cats," Huang said. "I think that's a really good experience."
Here's a look at the felines of West Philadelphia:
A large group of cat enthusiasts gathered at Clark Park to kick off the walking tour.
An attendee stops to pet Huckle, a cat who appeared on a sidewalk during the tour.
A cat not officially part of the tour stepped out to watch the passersby.
Some owners made signs to share information about their cats, such as names, personality traits, birthdays and favorite snacks.
West Philly resident Michelle Goodwin sat on their front porch with their dog, Apollo, and cat, Neptune during the tour.
Long-haired cat Marty was pushed around in the stroller during the event.
Effie, approximately 15 years old, stands with her owner on a stoop along Baltimore Avenue.
Whalen, a tuxedo cat, stands in the window as the light starts to fade.
Gray cat Whiskey enjoys a snack and donned a knit hat for the tour.
