A litter of nine kittens and their mom snuggled into a yoga class in Winnipeg on Cat… er, Saturday, rolling, running and playing with dozens of participants in hopes of finding a fur-ever home.

The annual Cats on Mats event took place at the Bend Academy, a dance studio in Osborne Village. Organizers bring in adoptable cats during three yoga classes over the course of the day.

“For most people, it’s more about the cat snuggles than the yoga stretch,” said Aleethia Mackay, founder of the event.

Mackay and two of her friends came together to organize the event hoping to give back to their community by spreading awareness of the number of rescued cats ready to find forever homes.

“There’s definitely a draw for the kittens, and that’s not something you typically see done in the city,” she said.

The annual event was hosted at the Bend Academy, a dance studio in Osborne Village. It happens once a year over the winter holidays. (Ron Dhaliwal/CBC)

The kittens at the yoga studio are part of over 200 felines currently in the care of the Tales of Freedom Rescue, a not-for-profit animal foster in Winnipeg.

John Morris, who works at the rescue, said charity events such as Saturday’s are a great support after a continued surge in the number of animals rescued in Manitoba over the last few years.

“It’s just a revolving door,” Morris said. “It’s crazy … we could take 1,000 if we had the fosters.”

Tales of Freedom Rescue has taken in at least 509 rescued pets and have them spayed or neutered.

Funds raised from the event are donated to Tales of Freedom Rescue along with food, toys and litter participants bring in. (Ron Dhaliwal/CBC)

The organization then relies on foster homes to keep animals safe and off the streets before they can be adopted.

Morris said they are hoping events like Cats on Mats encourages more people to register as fosters and adopt.

Number of participants growing

The yoga class is marking its fifth annual edition, running only once every year over the winter holiday.

Spencer Findlay and his wife were among the 60 people who signed up for one of Saturday’s sessions.

“You come for both parts where it’s yoga, and it’s cats,” he said. “I’m a cat person, so this is a fun time to see cats that need some help.”

This is his third time taking part in the event, and over the last years, he has seen how the number of participants has grown, always filling up the class.

Spencer Findlay and his wife were among the 60 people who signed up for a Saturday session – one of three hosted this year to accommodate a larger number of people wanting to take part. (Ron Dhaliwal/CBC)

Mackay said what started as two small-group sessions has turned into a sold-out event.

The yoga sessions have moved into a larger space at the dance studio, and this year, Cats on Mats had to add an extra class to accommodate demand.

“Word of mouth is really working for us,” she said. “People have kind of caught on and are eager to join every December.”

Funds raised from the event are donated to Tales of Freedom Rescue. People also bring in food, toys, and litter to donate.

“We are happy to corner the market and help out with the rescues and the cats in Winnipeg,” she said.