I loved the kittens I adopted after college, but I don’t miss the 16 years a litter box lived in our laundry room.
Still, when your last name is Katt and you live across the street from Mueller Park, the Cats of the Wedge Tour will knead its way into your dog-loving heart.
Now in its eighth year, hundreds of cat lovers descend on our block for this urban safari, touring the neighborhood in search of its feline residents.
There are planned stops, where people may hoist cats for a Lion King-style “Circle of Life” moment, but the real excitement happens when someone spots an unexpected cat lounging in a sunny window — the crowd erupts.
Last year, my kids set up a lemonade stand to coincide with the tour, raising funds for a local rescue. But this year, one particular Cat of the Wedge needed our help.
In early June, we discovered a black and white kitten beneath a tree at Mueller Park.
Tiny, unusually tolerant of children, and with a tongue permanently sticking out like a Mr. Yuk poison sticker, he was adorable — but clearly in need of medical attention.
Our neighbor Cate knew exactly who to call: Delaney Alexander. Within a half-hour, Alexander arrived with a crate and a plan to take the kitten to MetroPet Animal Hospital at 2603 Hennepin Ave.
As it turns out, the “kitten” was actually a 3.5-pound, 2-year-old cat with dwarfism and a misaligned jaw. Now named Bubb, he’s officially a clinic cat at MetroPet, greeting every patient who walks through the door.
Alexander, a Stevens Square resident, is relatively new to cat rescue. Two years ago, she visited a dairy farm with a prolific feral cat population.
The property, teeming with sickly animals and no plan to manage the colony, left her deeply unsettled. She asked the farmers if they would allow her to spay and neuter the cats and seek rescue for those suitable for adoption.
Today, that colony is stabilized — no longer growing. Alexander returns every few weeks to fill gravity feeders and check on the animals.
She now applies these methods to urban cat colonies, trapping, fixing and releasing feral cats. She currently monitors colonies in Brooklyn Center and south Minneapolis, but gets calls about stray or found cats daily.
Most cats you see outside during the day are domesticated. They may nuzzle your leg, purr or let you pet them. Feral cats, however, are largely nocturnal, fearful or avoidant of humans, and unless very young, aren’t suitable for adoption.
While some stray cats accidentally end up on the streets, just as many are abandoned. Alexander notes she often sees an uptick in loose cats at the beginning of the month, when people move and leave their pets behind.
If you find a friendly, healthy cat (Minneapolis Animal Control typically only assists with the injured), best practice is to safely contain it and have it scanned for a microchip at a veterinary clinic. A crate or even a bathroom can work for temporary holding while you check for lost animal reports on websites like Nextdoor or Pawboost.
Keep the cat separate from your own pets. If you’re unable to contain the animal, post on social media to find a temporary foster. If no owner is found, the Animal Humane Society offers surrender appointments for adoptable cats, usually within two to three weeks. You can also contact local rescues for help.
Even if you’re not a cat person, feral cat management matters.
Just a handful of unaltered cats can quickly multiply — a female cat can reproduce as early as four months old and have up to three litters a year.
Feral cats face short, stressful lives filled with malnutrition, disease and injury. They also create problems for property owners, harm bird populations and often suffer slow, painful deaths.
If you find a feral cat, contact a group or an individual like Alexander who specializes in trap-neuter-release, or TNR. Many connect with her through her Facebook page, Delaney’s Feline Haven, or on Nextdoor.
During this year’s damp, chilly Cats of the Wedge Tour, our family raised $230 for MetroPet’s stray cat fund — enough to cover three feline surgeries, including Bubb’s. Hopefully, there’s a little left over to buy him some catnip.
