only in new zealand

[Ken Gargett]

Celebrity cat called Mittens in the running to be New Zealander of the year

Also making the cut are PM Jacinda Ardern and the director-general of health Dr Ashley Bloomfield

Eleanor Ainge Roy in Dunedin

 @EleanorAingeRoy

Thu 20 Aug 2020 10.53 AESTLast modified on Thu 20 Aug 2020 10.56 AEST

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 Wellington’s world famous cat, Mittens, who has been nominated for New Zealander of the Year Photograph: Twitter @pandoratolson

A celebrity cat, a hardworking civil servant and the prime minister have all been nominated for this year’s New Zealander of the year award.

“In this extraordinary year, we know that everyone has a hero,” Miriama Kamo, the patron of the awards, said.

For some, that hero has been a Turkish Angora cat named Mittens who roams tattoo parlours, office towers and churches, posing for social media snapshots along the way. Earlier this year Mittens, of Wellington, was given the key to the city, and his adventurous spirit has won him tens of thousands of local and international fans.

 

Mittens first won attention in 2018 after repeatedly wandering inner-city dwellings, including the university, the post office, and a Catholic church. Mittens was also reportedly taken to the police station by concerned locals.

After repeated encounters with Mittens, an SPCA employee started a Facebook page to reassure locals that the cat wasn’t lost and didn’t need to be “rescued” – he was just adventurous.

The Facebook page now has 50,000 followers with locals tracking Mittens’ daily activities around town.

 

 

 

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 Mittens, The famous cat of Wellington , New Zealand. Photograph: Twitter

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Also making the cut are the prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, her figurative “team of five million” for their adherence to lockdown rules, and the director-general of health, Dr Ashley Bloomfield.

[NSXCIGAR]

Title of the article is "The Best Thing About Wellington". If that's the case, Wellington is in trouble.

 

[El Presidente]

So a feral cat is in the running 

Didn't an Orc win it 5 years back?

[Ken Gargett]

1 minute ago, El Presidente said:

So a feral cat is in the running 

Didn't an Orc win it 5 years back?

surely the Orcs won in Orcland? 

[Ken Gargett]

12 minutes ago, NSXCIGAR said:

Title of the article is "The Best Thing About Wellington". If that's the case, Wellington is in trouble.

 

you've obviously never been to wellington. this would be a step up. 

[NSXCIGAR]

3 hours ago, Ken Gargett said:

you've obviously never been to wellington. this would be a step up. 

No, I haven't. Maybe they should make the cat mayor.