El Gato del Río ("The River Cat") is a sculpture by Colombian artist Hernando Tejada.

Over time, it has turned into a famous landmark of the city[1] along with the monument to Sebastián de Belalcázar and Cristo Rey.

[3] El Gato del Río was inaugurated on July 3, 1996, which is celebrated as the independence day in Cali.

The project consisted of adding 15 new cat sculptures of the same size and shape but painted by different Colombian artists.

Famous Colombian artists contributed cats, including Maripaz Jaramillo, Roberto Molano, Diego Pombo, Cecilia Coronel, Pedro Alcántara, and Omar Rayo.