# Cats About Town Tours > NYC's only cat history walking tours. Small groups. Expert historian guides. Brooklyn Heights, Financial District, Lower East Side. ## About Cats About Town Tours runs guided walking tours exploring the real history of cats in New York City — stories sourced from archives, newspapers, and obscure historical records. Founded by Peggy Gavan, author of "The Cat Men of Gotham" (Rutgers University Press), the tours combine original research with neighborhood history. - **Website**: https://catsabouttowntours.com - **Booking**: https://catsabouttowntours.com/booking - **Contact**: catsabouttowntour@gmail.com - **Founder/Lead Guide**: Peggy Gavan ## Pages - [Home](/): Overview of NYC cat history walking tours. - [Tours](/tours): All public and private walking tours. - [Brooklyn Heights Tour](/tours/brooklyn-heights): Cat history in NYC's first suburb. - [Financial District Tour](/tours/financial-district): Wall Street and City Hall cat stories. - [Lower East Side Tour](/tours/lower-east-side): Saloon, dive bar, and immigrant-era cats. - [Dogs & Cats on Fifth Avenue Tour](/tours/dogs-and-cats-fifth-avenue): Society pets and guide-dog history. - [Private Tours](/tours/private-tours): Custom group bookings. - [Booking](/booking): Live availability and dates. - [Gift Cards](/gift-cards): Tour gift cards. - [Stories](/stories): NYC cat history archive. - [About](/about): Company background and team. - [Speaking](/speaking): Booking Peggy Gavan for talks. - [Press Kit](/press-kit): Media resources. - [In the News](/in-the-news): Press coverage. - [Gallery](/gallery): Tour photo gallery. - [Partners](/partners): B2B partnership program. - [Corporate](/corporate): Corporate and team-building tours. - [Contact](/contact): Get in touch. ## Tours All public tours: $45 adults, $40 seniors (65+), children under 12 free. Groups of 12 max. Tours run Saturdays and Sundays at 10am (2 hours). ### Brooklyn Heights Walking Tour Explores cat history in NYC's first suburb. Covers historic sites, famous resident cats, and the neighborhood's feline heritage — including Ned the Bridge Cat (the first living creature to cross the Brooklyn Bridge), Jerry Fox (a nearly blind café cat who wore custom glasses and saved Borough Hall from burning down in 1904), and the firehouse cat Harry on Remsen Street. - URL: https://catsabouttowntours.com/tours/brooklyn-heights ### Financial District Walking Tour Covers Wall Street postal cats, City Hall-area working cats, and the role of cats in 19th-century commerce. Includes Old Tom, the City Hall cat who ruled for 17 years, and P.T. Barnum's "genuine cherry-colored cat" at his American Museum. - URL: https://catsabouttowntours.com/tours/financial-district ### Lower East Side Walking Tour Explores immigrant-era cats and the feline history of one of NYC's most historically layered neighborhoods — saloon cats at McSorley's Old Ale House, dive bar cats on the Bowery, police cats on Eldridge Street, and a cowboy who lassoed a cat to safety. - URL: https://catsabouttowntours.com/tours/lower-east-side ### Private Tours Custom tours for groups. $450 base for up to 8 guests ($50 per additional guest, up to 15 guests total). - URL: https://catsabouttowntours.com/tours/private-tours ## Frequently Asked Questions **What makes Cats About Town Tours unique?** The tours are built around original archival research — not mythology or trivia. Peggy Gavan has spent years sourcing cat stories from 19th-century newspapers, city records, and historical archives. Every story on the tour has a named cat, a real location, and a documented source. **Who leads the tours?** Tours are led by licensed NYC tour guides and historians, including Peggy Gavan, author of "The Cat Men of Gotham" (Rutgers University Press, 2020) and creator of the Hatching Cat archive; DeeAnne Gorman, licensed NYC sightseeing guide and board member of the Greater Astoria Historical Society; Marie Carter, NYC tour guide and author of three books including "Mortimer and the Witches"; and Jeremy Diaz, licensed NYC tour guide and author. **Are the tours family-friendly?** Yes. Children under 12 are free. The tours are designed for all ages. **Do I need to book in advance?** Yes. Tours are small-group (max 12 people) and sell out, especially on weekends. Book at https://catsabouttowntours.com/booking **What is the cancellation policy?** Managed through FareHarbor. Check the booking page for current policy. **Are there cats on the tour?** Not live cats — the tours cover the history of cats in these neighborhoods through archival stories and neighborhood history. **What neighborhoods do you cover?** Brooklyn Heights, Financial District, and Lower East Side. Each is a separate 2-hour walking tour. **Is the tour outdoors?** Yes, fully outdoors walking tours. Dress for the weather. **How much walking is involved?** Each tour covers approximately 1.5 miles over 2 hours. The pace is leisurely; comfortable walking shoes are recommended. **Can I bring my cat?** Yes, cats in carriers or harnesses are welcome. Email catsabouttowntour@gmail.com before booking if you plan to bring your cat. ## Key People - **Peggy Gavan** — Co-Founder and lead historian, author of "The Cat Men of Gotham" (Rutgers University Press) and "The Bravest Pets of Gotham." Creator of the Hatching Cat archive documenting NYC animal history. Licensed NYC tour guide with a journalism degree from Syracuse University and a Master of Science in Health Communications from Boston University. - **Dan Rimada** — Co-Founder and operations, founder of Bodega Cats of New York. - **DeeAnne Gorman** — Licensed NYC tour guide, poet, board member of the Greater Astoria Historical Society. - **Marie Carter** — Licensed NYC tour guide for over a decade, author of three books including "Mortimer and the Witches." - **Jeremy Diaz** — Licensed NYC tour guide and author whose work has appeared in Cracked.com's The De-Textbook and The Morris-Jumel Mansion Anthology of Fantasy and Paranormal Fiction. ## Press Featured in: The Guardian, NBC, Fodor's Travel, Time Out, NY1. ## Social & Booking - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/catsabouttowntours/ - Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/catsabouttowntours - Airbnb Experiences: https://www.airbnb.com/experiences/6966251 - FareHarbor booking: https://fareharbor.com/catsabouttown/ ## Rating 5.0/5 stars (20 reviews)