People streamed in from the cold to warm their hands and hearts at Sunday's "Kitten Shower," an event to benefit People Helping Paws.
The local organization's goal is to keep pets out of shelters that euthanize animals and put them in emergency foster care until permanent homes are found. Last year, it found homes for about 130 cats and dogs.
One of the group's most recent rescues is Molly, a 9-week-old kitten found on a cold, sleeting night in Eldon.
"Honestly, we didn't expect it to survive. But she made it," said Sheila Martens, who co-founded People Helping Paws.
Sunday's event, which was held at Elite Performing Arts, featured close to a dozen cats, but Molly was the star of the event. She got lots of attention from the attendees, but she was already spoken for. Even before the event, several people had already applied to adopt her.
The event featured snacks, raffle prizes, games for children and adults, and a silent auction that featured products for pets and their human counterparts. Items included a motorized cat toy, a "pet fountain" water bowl and Tastefully Simple food baskets.
Martens said she hoped the silent auction would bring in $400-$500 for the organization.
Asked why her family attended the event, 6-year-old Addison Stark said: "'Cause we like cats!"
Her father, Dustin Stark, said their family has two dogs, two cats and two ferrets, but recently lost an 18-year-old cat to old age.
They didn't attend the event planning to adopt another pet, but Emily Stark, Dustin's wife, said: "Maybe we'll fall in love with one and have to think about it."
People Helping Paws doesn't operate within any particular boundaries, but operates generally in Mid-Missouri, Martens said.
"It's a lot of people being woken up in the middle of the night to do this," she said.
Throughout April, People Helping Paws will feature their adoptable cats in the PetSmart cat room. Anyone interested in adopting one can ask to see them at the store, located at 731 Stoneridge Pky.
The adoption fee is $100 for kittens and $75 for adult cats. All have been spayed/neutered and are up to date on their shots, Martens said.