Over 11,000 Attend Internet Cat Video Festival In St. Paul

ST. PAUL, Minn. (WCCO/AP) — An annual festival for cat videos has drawn thousands of feline fanatics to a St. Paul baseball stadium.

More than 11,000 people were in attendance at CHS Field for the 4th annual Internet Cat Video Festival. St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman said 13,000 people were there in total. Coleman threw out a ceremonial ball of yarn to mark the opening of the festival.

The festival is presented by The Walker Art Center. This was the first year they've done it at the brand new baseball stadium in St. Paul.

A lot of people laid down blankets on the field, and many more were either dressed up as cats or had their faces painted.

"Cat film festival is a fantastic gathering of everyone that loves cats, loves watching cats on film. Everyone comes dressed up as cats or dressed in different cat-themed t-shirts. It's fantastic," one festival goer said. "They're cuddly, they're affectionate. People think dogs are the more affectionate breed but cats are really the ones that are going to snuggle up with you at night."

"Come and watch a million cat lovers come to one spot and watch a ton of cat videos. It's amazing," another said.

Videos played on the stadium's large scoreboard as people watched from the stands and blankets in the outfield. Selections included clips of a cat startling a bear and a scene from "Jurassic Park" edited to include giant cats.

The video that won the Golden Kitty Award, essentially the people's choice award, is a minute-long clip that explains why cats do certain things.

That includes why they scratch the couch, why they disturb nap time, why they knock stuff off of tables, and more.

According to this video, it's all about getting points for certain behaviors.

The festival was held in previous years at the Walker Art Center and the Minnesota State Fair.

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