Attention, all cat-ladies and gentlemen, animal and art lovers alike! The Fort Collins Cat Rescue & Spay/Neuter Clinic will be merging two of the Fort Collins community’s favorite things, animals and art, for a four-day gallery to preview their winter fundraising event.

The gallery will feature local artists, both professionals and amateurs, who were given a plain cat form and used their creative expression to transform the blank template into a Grand Cat. In the past, artists have used paint, mosaic and other mediums to give each Grand Cat their own colorful personality.

After making their debut at the gallery, The Grand Cats will be auctioned off at the clinic’s 12th winter gala, the Whiskers and Wags Jubilee.

“Our Grand Cats have been a fun and exciting highlight of the gala since our very first event 12 years ago,” said Lydia Jordan, the marketing administrator for the Fort Collins Cat Rescue. “Art and cat lovers help us raise several thousand dollars each year by bidding on these unique pieces of art.”

The funds raised at the events will go towards helping the clinic continue their life-saving work. The programs supported provide a range of services to pet owners, from affordable access to spay and neuter services to help for low-income pet owners.

Since 2007, the Fort Collins Cat Rescue has been dedicated to keeping our furry friends happy and healthy. As a shelter and a full-service veterinary office, the clinic not only wants to get homeless cats adopted, but is committed to the animal’s safety after they are put into their new family’s hands.

The Grand Cats will be shown Feb. 20-23 in Gallery C at the Carnegie Center for Creativity from 12-6 p.m.

“Our vision that every pet is healthy and wanted goes beyond helping homeless animals and includes helping pet owners access essential services and find the help they need to keep pets in their homes,” Jordan said.

As both art and animals are essential components to Fort Collins’ identity, the Grand Cats gallery bolsters not only local creatives, but a healthy community as a whole.

“Spay and neuter is an essential component of preventing pet homelessness, and keeping pets vaccinated protects not only the health of the pet, but other pets, wildlife and even humans,” Jordan said. “Events like our Whiskers ‘n Wags Jubilee and Grand Cat art show increase awareness about the importance of preventative pet care and allow artists to express their passion for the animal rescue issues that matter most to them.”

As the Fort Collins Cat Rescue’s largest fundraising events of the year, the Gala and the Grand Cats themselves are vital to keeping the clinic doing their essential work for the cats and the community.

“Since Fort Collins Cat Rescue & Spay/Neuter Clinic opened in 2006, the euthanasia rate in Larimer County has decreased by over 70 percent,” Jordan said. “We hope to keep providing services that help keep pets in homes and out of shelters.”

Lauryn Bolz can be reached at entertainment@collegian.com or on Twitter @LaurynBolz.