Start by finding a long street in a residential area where many people own cats. Choose your time of day.

On day one, buy a smoked mackerel and take it to one end of your chosen road at the allotted time. Open it and eat it. With luck the smell will attract a cat or two; if so, feed them tidbits of fish.

Repeat on day two. Open your fish in the same place, but take a couple of steps along the road before eating it.

On day three, take four steps. On day four, take six steps. Continue advancing steadily down the road day by day, remembering to feed tidbits to any cats you encounter. They'll soon learn to come back for more at the same time the next day, and as you proceed they'll end up following you further and further.

By the time you get to the far end of the road you should have accumulated a sizeable following of cats, which will probably continue to appear for some time after you stop turning up.

For extra effect, arrange for several people to do this, all converging on the same junction.
-- Wrongfellow, Apr 25 2009

Quite simply brilliant. I bow at thy furry feetih.
-- blissmiss, Apr 25 2009


a flash mob takes place in an instant & is a brief episode.

I foresee lots of lost cats...
-- po, Apr 25 2009


This could smoke out a lots of cats.
-- Aristotle, Apr 25 2009


Herding cats?
Good luck.
-- AbsintheWithoutLeave, Apr 25 2009


...You should have heard the Hamelin people
Ringing their fish tins till they rocked the steeple.
"Go," cried the Mayor, "and get your yarn balls,"
"Scratch post the streetlamps and catnip the halls!"
"Consult with carpenters and the builders,
and leave in our town not even a trace
of the cats!" - when suddenly, up the face
of the Piper perked in the market-place,
With a "First, if you please, my thousand guilders!"...
-- 2 fries shy of a happy meal, Apr 25 2009


That's how I saw it too...2f.
-- blissmiss, Apr 25 2009


I don't think this is herding but rather temping. If you use the other cues suggested then the gathering could be more secretive. The last great cajole will give a visual 'flash' flood of cats. Awesome.
-- wjt, Apr 25 2009


[cajole] = 2 points.
-- blissmiss, Apr 25 2009



random, halfbakery