Polly Doolittle shows Dr. Ladd Ventling one of the cute cat items for sale on the silent auction Saturday night at the first Whiskers & Wine fundraiser to provide money for Hamilton County AdvoCATes and The Cat Hut. The event, held at Backcountry Winery near Stratford, drew a full house of cat lovers eager to support the nonprofit based in Webster City. Fun fact: The Cat Hut got its name from its building, the former Pizza Hut.

Upstairs at the Backcountry barn, comedian John DeBoer channeled his inner Minnesotan, below left.

Angie Welsh, Boone, left, and Natasha Hoover, Ames, were just two of the enthusiast shoppers, below right.

Supporters from a wide area packed the barn. Dinner was catered by Silver Spoon, Jewell. The event raised $15,507.80, Cat Hut officials said.