Mittens is a domestic cat who formerly lived in

Wellington Wellington ( mi, Te Whanganui-a-Tara or ) is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the second-largest city in New Zealand by metr ...

, New Zealand, who wandered in

Te Aro Te Aro (formerly also known as Te Aro Flat) is an inner-city suburb of Wellington, New Zealand. It comprises the southern part of the central business district including the majority of the city's entertainment district and covers the mostly fla ...

and the city's central business district. A feline

flâneur () is a French noun referring to a person, literally meaning "stroller", "lounger", "saunterer", or "loafer", but with some nuanced additional meanings (including as a loanword into English). is the act of strolling, with all of its accom ...

, he roams up to from his home.

Selfie A selfie () is a self-portrait photograph, typically taken with a digital camera or smartphone, which may be held in the hand or supported by a selfie stick. Selfies are often shared on social media, via social networking services such as ...

pictures with the cat have become a desired item for locals. Mittens is occasionally taken to the

SPCA A Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) is a common name for non-profit animal welfare organizations around the world. The oldest SPCA organization is the RSPCA, which was founded in England in 1824. SPCA organizations operate i ...

or the

police The police are a constituted body of persons empowered by a state, with the aim to enforce the law, to ensure the safety, health and possessions of citizens, and to prevent crime and civil disorder. Their lawful powers include arrest and th ...

. Originally from the suburbs of

Auckland Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The most populous urban area in the country and the fifth largest city in Oceania, Auckland has an urban population of about ...

, he has become a

social media Social media are interactive media technologies that facilitate the creation and sharing of information, ideas, interests, and other forms of expression through virtual communities and networks. While challenges to the definition of ''social medi ...

celebrity Celebrity is a condition of fame and broad public recognition of a person or group as a result of the attention given to them by mass media. An individual may attain a celebrity status from having great wealth, their participation in sports ...

since he, his late brother Latte, and their owner Silvio Bruinsma moved to the capital city in 2017. He featured on the 2018 edition of the Wellington Advent Calendar, an online calendar counting down the days before

Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year ...

. 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. On 22 May 2020, Mittens was given the

Key to the City The Freedom of the City (or Borough in some parts of the UK) is an honour bestowed by a municipality upon a valued member of the community, or upon a visiting celebrity or dignitary. Arising from the medieval practice of granting respected ...

of Wellington. Previous recipients include Sir Peter Jackson and Sir Richard Taylor. Later in 2020, he was the subject of an exhibition at the Wellington Museum and a candidate for New Zealander of the year in August. 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". 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 Andrew John Whitfield Foster (born 21 December 1961) is a New Zealand politician who served as Mayor of Wellington from 2019 to 2022. Foster served on the Wellington City Council for nine terms from 1992 until 2019. Biography Early life Foste ...

the

mayor of Wellington The Mayor of Wellington is the head of the municipal government of the City of Wellington. The mayor presides over the Wellington City Council. The mayor is directly elected using the Single Transferable Vote method of proportional representat ...

was quoted saying "He does have the

so he's welcome back at any time."

References

External links

* {{cite web , website=Facebook group , title=The Wondrous Adventures of Mittens , url=https://www.facebook.com/groups/1976829619311990/ Individual cats Culture in Wellington Individual animals in New Zealand 2010 animal births

See also

References

External links