Feline Facebook Group Has 30k Members In New Zealand Who Take Pictures Of One Local Cat Wherever They See Him
Mittens is not just any cat in Wellington, New Zealand, he is a local celebrity with a fan base that keeps growing. The 10-year-old Turkish Angora, also known as His Royal Majesty, Mittens the King, and the Wellington Morale Officer, has turned everyday city strolls into a full-time public event.
People stop to photograph him, share sightings online, and follow his adventures through a Facebook group that now has more than 30,000 members. He wanders into shops, offices, and even homes, then heads back to his family at night, where he lives with his brother, Latte.
The Wondrous Adventures of Mittens has become a running photo album of his life around town, and the pictures below show exactly why so many people are obsessed with him.
1.
"Since lots of you want to see the King Mittens with a halo on his head... Here it is. You’re all welcome."
Mittens had been somewhat known in Wellington and previously in Auckland for a while, but the Facebook group helped turn him into a much bigger local name.
2.
"Once in a blue moon, Mittens and Latte decide to put their differences aside. Today is one of those days—a Blades of Glory moment."
3.
"His Royal Majesty looking fabulous near his residence at The Terrace."
4.
“So why were you late for work?” “Oh, I was taking selfies with a famous cat.” “Haha… Wait, really?” Yup.
That is when his city-wide reputation really started to take off.
What made him so popular is his unique way of making the city his own. He will go into whatever shop he chooses and just pick a place to sleep. He has no cares in the world about it. He loves to explore new places or frequent the same shop or business a few days in a row. He will even get into lifts and go up several stories! When he does this, he just follows people in and gets out when they get out, never knowing where he is going to end up. His sense of adventure and carefree attitude is surely to be admired. He is normally pretty keen for pats and pictures with his self-named 'Smittens.' So the fact that he is very friendly has also led to his popularity.
5.
"Almost came off my bike when I saw him, but it was bloody worth it."
When asked if there are tourists who come to Wellington to meet Mittens, Sam said: "Yes! I have heard of a few people who have made the trip to Wellington specifically to go Mittens hunting. Also, if people are coming here for another reason, they often make time to see if they can find the king. The Facebook group is great for this, as people post photos and sightings of him often."
"He lets people know when he is not up for attention, as he will just walk right by them and not stop for pats," the owner and manager of Mittens' Facebook group said. "He has also been known to let people know when he does not want to be picked up or moved, with a light warning scratch. This happened to the poor employee from EB Games (a gaming retail store) last night. Mittens spent his afternoon there sleeping on Xbox and PlayStation games on their sale table. He did not want to move and had to be evicted at closing time!"
6.
"Was feeling a bit off this morning and nearly called in sick. Glad I didn’t because today was the day His Royal Highness decided to grace my humble desk with a long nap… and then he helped himself to my water. Best. Day. Ever. As he was sleeping, he left a puddle of drool on my paperwork. Framing that, obvs."
"I noticed there had been a lot of posts in one of Wellington’s Facebook community groups about him, with concerns from people that he was lost or didn’t have a home because he was in the middle of the city," the Facebook group administrator says. "He was brought into the SPCA a few times, which meant that his owner had to come and get him. We frequently (almost daily) got calls about him at the SPCA. I decided I would create a Facebook group for him to raise awareness about the fact that he had an owner, was healthy, and knew how to get around the city. I created this group on 6th April 2018 and shared a link in the previously mentioned Wellington community Facebook group. The group quickly gained members, and the calls about him to the SPCA slowed down. His owner, Silvio, also said he wasn’t getting as many calls about him either. Mittens normally wears a collar with Silvio's number on it, so you can imagine he got a lot of calls!"
7.
"Walking to work... put down my bag to pat Mittens... he climbed into the bag and claimed the free-range eggs I was taking to work for colleagues."
8.
"Ended the year painting something that seems to make so many people happy—Mittens! Enjoy. This is down Inverlocky Lane."
Sam has met Mittens a few times, and says he is just as floofy and charming in person as he looks in photos.
9.
"As you can see… Mittens was just as excited as we were for the photo."
10.
11.
12.
"The third date with Mittens… he walked me home like a true gentleman… had a nightcap… and jumped straight into my bed… such a Casanova!!!!"
13.
"The King graced our presence at Amnesty NZ, Rape Crisis, and the Sexual Abuse Prevention Network this afternoon on Willis St. He learned about human rights, inspected our Christmas decorations, had some water, and then took a ride in the lift back downstairs."
14.
"This chirpy boy tried to hitch a ride with me to work today."
15.
"Mittens on 11 Feb 2020."
"I started the group slightly out of frustration because of well-meaning people calling about him or taking him to vet clinics or the SPCA when it wasn’t needed," Sam said. "I never expected it to get this big. I have since taken on two more moderators to keep up with the workload! I continue the group these days for the pure joy of Mittens being with people who meet him and to help with the fun of people who are Mittens hunting. Even people who will never meet him, who are overseas, say they enjoy getting their 'daily Mittens dose' and look forward to seeing his pictures and latest antics."
And if you loved Mittens’ fame, you’ll like the huge-eyed mayor of Hell Town.
16.
"My first encounter! Outside Rogue and Vagabond."
17.
"We traveled all the way from the US to meet the mayor of Wellington. Mittens and his brother Latte made an appearance. Mittens also discovered the infamous American banana (full of catnip). Mission accomplished."
18.
"When you have to lock up and Mittens doesn't want to leave... I felt so bad!"
19.
"I don’t think Mittens is a fan of this weather either."
20.
"Welcome to Mac’s Brewbar, Handsome."
21.
"Mittens came to the strip club tonight."
22.
"Mittens graced us with his presence during a video shoot by the Civic Square."
23.
24.
"Blessed to have my daughter’s bike seat approved by His Majesty! Mittens got comfy and didn’t want to be removed, but fortunately, his owner came along to take him home. (I wasn’t game to move the bike with him sitting there.) In the meantime, he got lots of pats and attention from friendly passersby."
25.
"Mittens came for his second visit to Kitomba within a week. We're on the 7th floor in Eagle Tech House, Victoria St. As you can see, His Royal Highness is holding an audience with his round table... Never seen a group of guys be so smitten."
26.
"Mittens is currently having a nap in Crumpet."
27.
"Mittens knocked on my apartment door last night, came in, had a few naps, then headed off!"
28.
"Rumble in the jungle."
29.
"Mittens on top of the world, literally..."
30.
"Mittens hanging out at The Rogue & Vagabond tonight. When I spotted him, I screeched and ran across the street like a madwoman. His Floofiness allowed me to sit beside him and pet his glorious head. Day made!"
Sam was asked if everyone in Wellington knows Mittens: "I wouldn’t say everyone knows him, but a large majority do! For the most part, shops and businesses let him come and go as he pleases! There are a couple that have refused him entry or kicked him out when he tried to visit, but they’re just missing out!"
Wellington clearly has a soft spot for its feline celebrity.
Want another cat stealing the spotlight, meet Belarus and her cross-eyed charity blitz.
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