Cat Tails – A Feline Take on London History
Westminster Underground station, London (exit 4, opposite Big Ben)
Guided by Ann
Adult: £20 · Students & Seniors: £15 · Children: £5
Walk Times
| Day | Walk Type | Start Time | End Time | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 August 2026 | Tour du Jour | 10.15 am | 12.15 pm | Summer | |
| 13 September 2026 | Tour du Jour | 10.15 am | 12.15 pm | Summer | Reserve Online |
| 8 October 2026 | Tour du Jour | 10.15 am | 12.15 pm | Summer | Reserve Online |
| 15 November 2026 | Special | 10.15 am | 12.15 pm | Winter | Reserve Online |
“The phrase ‘domestic cat’ is an oxymoron” George Will
“Dogs have owners, cats have staff”
Cats cats cats… have never had it so good since they ruled as gods in Ancient Egypt. Cat fans rave about their beauty, elegance, gymnastics and ability to scope out the warmest spot in house and garden. Non fans point out a cat’s independence, self-interest, and refusal to consider doing anything at all that it doesn’t feel like doing. All these qualities are of course part of its charm to fans.
Thanks to the internet you can waste hours in the day watching clips of cats arguing with the printer, leaping into the lampshade, riding on the vacuum cleaner, falling off things, terrorising dogs, etc. etc.
Cat Tails is the only cat walk in London, probably in the country, and possibly in the world. Come along to hear stories of London cats going back even before Henry V111- who did not have a cat as far as we know. Which famous Tudor courtier was always accompanied by at least one cat? Which London celebrity is said to have owned 60 cats? Which was the cat whose paws tingled as she helped research into electricity? And which cat dropped pigeons down the chimney for its owner’s dinner? (I can’t vouch for the 100% truth of that one.)
Here’s Ann’s delightful podcast introduction to the Cat Tails walk.
“Cats keeping dogs in their place” – Ann’s Flipside Purrfect Podcast about Cats
And This Makes Three, Giving Us a Clowder of Cat Podcasts
Ok, that’s got you in the mood, let’s paws for a word from Freud and then reprise the walk
“Time spent with cats is never wasted,” Sigmund Freud
Which national heroine had 60 cats? Who had his late cat’s paw mounted on a letter opener? Which cat ate Princess Margaret’s bouquet?
Enjoy these and other feline delicacies on a walk which combines places, people and the cats who lived there.
Including, of course, Larry of Downing St. and his predecessors.
Carolyn –
A fun and informative couple of hours walking round an interesting area of London, including the beautifully kept Whitehall Gardens, and hearing from Ann about cats in politics, literature and science and those they chose to live with. Highly recommended.
Gayle McClelland –
Completed one of the best tours – Cat Tails guided by Ann. Ann’s love for history and cats is so lovely and infectious with a bitnof humour thrown in. Learned about Florence Nightingales 60 cats , Winston Churchill and his love for animals and all the cats that helped in Westminister including Larry. Icing on the cake was the.lovely weather great company and seeing Kaspar in the Savoy. Amazing Tour will do it again next time
Lucy –
When thinking of a birthday present for my cat obsessed friend, what better gift than this! This made for a lovely day out, we learnt a lot and Ann told the stories in a fun and light-hearted way! Would recommend even if you’re not as cat crazy as us!
Matilda –
Ann was a wonderful tour guide and cat expert! This is the first cat tour I’ve done and oh my, did it deliver. The experience was fab and the cat facts and photos were the perfect mix of cute, funny & historically interesting. Thank you for a wonderful time and I hope this cat tour continues to blossom!!
Marlin –
Absolutely wonderful walk and not just for cat lovers! Ann shared so many interesting stories about cats and their owners and also the related places. Highly recommended!
Denis Garrity –
This was my second walk with Ann and she didn’t disappoint. While this walk may have a “cats” theme, don’t take that the wrong way, it’s not just for cat lovers interested in London cat history, Ann takes you to some interesting locations from Parliament Square to outside 10 Downing St, to the Ministry of Defence, the Savoy Hotel (inside the lobby) and ultimately to Covent Garden – with many stops in between. Along the way Ann shares her knowledge of many famous cats, their owners and their memorable stories. Ann doesn’t do this walk every week, so check her schedule for the next one.
Valerie –
Despite the steady rain, this was a great walk to start my London visit with. Starting from Westminster, where Ann described various politicians admiration for their cats, illustrated with great photos from her binder, we walked down to Embankment, pausing often so Ann could tell her delightful stories and anecdotes. She even recited McAvity’s poem at one point—so appropriate! A quick nip into the gorgeous Savoy to hear the legend of the 14th guest, ending at Covent Garden. This is seeing London as it is meant to be seen, delicious, quirky, with the added ambience of true London weather. It goes without saying cat lovers rule on this trip.
Natasha –
Ann gave a fascinating and enjoyable tour on a very wet London morning. Her knowledge and stories of London’s famous and political cats were a joy. Unfortunately due to the rain the only cat we “met” was Kaspar in The Savoy, but Ann’s wonderful tales and clever sheltering spots made the tour exceptional. I highly recommend to all feline fanatics.
Raymond Wiseman –
Until this walk began, I hadn’t occurred to me that it would be packed out with cat lovers like myself. Apart from me they all seemed pretty sane, but it did mean that the bonus feature of the walk was the lovely conversations between the attendees. Sanest and wisest of all, our tour guide Ann made the absence of actual cats an irrelevance. If you have any experience with cats, you would know that getting them to turn up for a tour is an impossibility. The words “predictable” and “cat” are an antithesis. Despite this, the lovely locations, Ann’s pictures and excellent narration made this one of the best walks I have attended. Whether you are a cat owner or just want a stroll around some spectacular London locations on a Sunday morning, I would recommend this tour thoroughly.
Sarah Buckley –
I had previously joined Ann’s City of London walk with a friend, and when she asked at the end if anyone was interested in cats, I said yes, because I am a mad cat lady! So I went on the Cat Tails walk in April with my husband and we found it very interesting and enjoyable. I wasn’t expecting the tour to include going inside the Savoy Hotel as well, which was a nice surprise. A must for all cat-lovers.