Mittens
Other name(s)
  • Mittens the Cat of Wellington
  • His Royal Floofiness
SpeciesFelis catus
BreedTurkish Angora
SexMale
Born2009 (age 14–15)
Occupation

Mittens is a domestic cat who formerly lived in Wellington, New Zealand, who wandered in 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]

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

On 10 November 2021, It was reported that Mittens was looking to relocate to his home city of Auckland. Andy Foster the mayor of Wellington was quoted saying "He does have the Key to the City so he's welcome back at any time."[10]

See also

References

  1. ^ 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.
  10. ^ "Wellington's iconic Mittens the cat will move to Auckland, owner confirms". NewsHub. 10 November 2021. Retrieved 3 February 2022.

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