WATCH: These cat costumes are helping furry friends find forever homes

• Partnership between Lake Country Art Gallery and Okanagan Humane Society
• Artists made wearable cat costumes for silent auction
• Real cats were available for adoption

Cat lovers and artists have come together for a special event to showcase art and find felines forever homes.

During CATWALK, wearable cat costumes were up for bid in a silent auction, while various rescue cats and kittens were up for adoption.

The event was a partnership between the Lake Country Art Gallery (LCAG) and Okanagan Humane Society (OHS) to raise funds for both.

“We love to use the art platform as a means to spread the need for cat rescue and the good work that the humane society does,” Rena Warren, the community engagement coordinator at LCAG, told Kelowna10. “The work they do to trap, neuter, spay, and rehome animals is really good work, so we just want to showcase that.”

There were a variety of wearable costumes on display from different categories such as avant-garde, movie character, cosplay, and haute couture.

One artist, Veronica Parkes, made her own special cat costume inspired by the Harry Potter franchise, after her friends told her about the event.

“It’s a Gandalf costume for a cat. I don’t know why I chose to make it; it was the first thing that popped into my head,” she said.

The costume was crocheted out of acrylic yarn and Parkes said the project took around 20 hours to complete, but it was worth it to raise money for the cause.

“I’ve had cats my entire life so it’s just something that I’ve just grown up with,” she explained. “They’re great pets, great companions, they’re with you for a significant amount of time, and I love them.”

The Okanagan Humane Society covers the entire area from Oliver to Salmon Arm. They operate with a foster model and don’t have a physical shelter, so events like this help spread awareness and allow people to adopt right away.

“It’s so great to be back after COVID, to be live with the community, to interact with people in-person,” Romany Runnalls, OHS volunteer president said. “We can get gathered together, talk to people about what we do, invite them to foster, but also so they can come together and see some of our kittens and cats for adoption.”

Cats from OHS were also at the gallery with their foster parents, while they hoped to find a forever home. A hissing booth was set up for photos with the animals and a couple of cats were adopted once the event began.

“Adopting animals is one way to give animals new homes that have been found stray, abandoned, or lost,” Runnalls said. “Our work is essential in order to keep the animals off the street, to keep overpopulation in check, and give these animals good homes.”