In celebration of cats

There once was a friend, whose big birthday beckoned,
so off to the workshop is what I reckoned.
Said friend is a cook, with a big heart for cats,
thus challenging me to a carving of gratz.
A nice piece of maple, to stir up the oats,
with a feline theme for a person that dotes.
While rescuing kitties is just what she does,
creating Catspurtle is just the because.