He’s a capital cat, a moggy about town, and now Mittens has his own purr-fect museum exhibition.
Wellington Museum has launched a new interactive display dedicated to Mittens.
Mittens – Floofy and Famous features a typical day-in-the-life of the four-legged friend, a map for people to pin where they met him, as well as art by fans from around the globe.
Wellington Museum visitor services and retail manager Crystal Speightman came up with the idea for a Mittens exhibition during lockdown.
“[We were] wanting a way for people to get out of the house, come together as well as having fun, and we just kind of went with Mittens.
"Mittens is a great social story. People of all ages and demographics really kind of connect with him.”
The 10-year-old Turkish Angora has captured hearts around New Zealand and around the world with his wandering ways.
His Facebook page, The Wondrous Adventures of Mittens, has close to 50,000 followers and is a place for people to post their daily sightings of the feline.
Mittens goes anywhere and everywhere he pleases in Wellington, from roaming the streets to curling up on a desk at the library or whichever workplace he chooses for the day.
His owner, or guardian as he refers to himself, Silvio Bruinsma apologised on behalf of Mittens, who was unable to attend the opening of his own exhibition after a late night out on the town.
“My wife was at a hens do and he ended up wandering around the restaurant she was at ... so she brought him home last night ... around 11pm.”
It’s not the first time Mittens has tested out Wellington’s bar scene.
Last year, he had to be escorted out of Rogue and Vagabond after falling asleep on one of the bar’s couches.
“He goes wherever he wants. He approaches people and people love that. He puts a smile on people's faces,” said Mr Bruinsma.
One of the exhibition’s first visitors was a woman from Auckland who had come straight from the airport to see it.
“I love Mittens. He’s beautiful, he’s adventurous, he’s funny and I love the way he gets into lifts.”
Mittens – Floofy and Famous will run until October 11.
Merchandise is available for purchase at the Wellington Museum gift shop, or online, with 10 per cent of profit going to the SPCA.
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