Mittens (cat)

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Mittens
Mittens the cat of wellington.jpg
Other name(s)Mittens the Cat of Wellington
His Royal Floofiness
SpeciesCat
BreedTurkish Angora
SexMale
Born2010
Occupation
  • Pet
  • Local celebrity
  • Media personality

Mittens is a domestic cat in Wellington, New Zealand, who wanders Te Aro and the city's central business district. A feline flâneur, he roams up to 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) from his home. Selfie pictures with the cat have become a desired item for locals.[1] Mittens is occasionally taken to the SPCA or the police.[2]

Originally from the suburbs of Auckland, he has become a social media celebrity since he, his late brother Latte, and their owner Silvio Bruinsma moved to the capital city in 2017.[3][4] He featured on the 2018 edition of the Wellington Advent Calendar, an online calendar counting down the days before Christmas.[5] Sam Thacker, an SPCA staff member, posted a polite direction about how to treat Mittens if anyone comes across him; asking members of the public not to report or take him in as they are familiar with his behaviour.[1]

On 22 May 2020, Mittens was given the Key to the City of Wellington. Previous recipients include Sir Peter Jackson and Sir Richard Taylor.[6] Later in 2020, he was the subject of an exhibition at the Wellington Museum[7] and a candidate for New Zealander of the year in August.[8]

Catnapped[]

On 5 February 2021, Mittens was seen being taken in to a car, presumably, to be taken to the abductor's home, for pictures. It was called a "massive error in judgement" on the part of the abductors, by Mittens' owner.[9] With the help of the social media community, Mittens was quickly located and returned home.

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b Ainge Roy, Eleanor (4 March 2020). "The best thing about Wellington: Mittens the cat has paws all over New Zealand capital". The Guardian. Retrieved 20 August 2020.
  2. ^ "'Catastrophe averted': Mittens, the Cat of Wellington, temporarily detained by police". 10 May 2019. ISSN 1170-0777. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
  3. ^ Nightingale, Melissa. "Wandering cat Mittens a Wellington personality". New Zealand Herald. Wellington, NZ. ISSN 1170-0777. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
  4. ^ Hunt, Tom (13 January 2019). "He goes to church, he goes to the tattoo parlour – meet Mittens the cat". Stuff. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
  5. ^ "Counting down to Christmas with the help of Wellington's celebrity cat". Stuff. Retrieved 25 November 2019.
  6. ^ "Feline groovy: Mittens unlocks more hearts with Key to the City". Wellington City Council. 22 May 2020. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
  7. ^ "Mittens – Floofy and Famous". Wellington Museum. 4 July – 11 October 2020.
  8. ^ Ainge Roy, Eleanor (20 August 2020). "Celebrity cat called Mittens in the running to be New Zealander of the year". The Guardian. Retrieved 20 August 2020.
  9. ^ "Catnapped: Flurry of concern over world-famous Wellington feline". New Zealand Herald. 4 February 2021. Retrieved 7 March 2021.

External links[]

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