Stalker, also known as Meowser, lives at Fountain Gardens wedding and event venue in Plummers Point. Photo: SUPPLIED
Stalker, also known as Meowser, lives at Fountain Gardens wedding and event venue in Plummers Point. Photo: SUPPLIED
Cats of Tauranga is an occasional feature focusing on our region's feline friends with interesting stories to tell. The first of our cats with character is Meowser, of Plummers Point.
There are three cats who live at Fountain Gardens, in Plummers Point, but you'd think there was only one ifyou were watching The Bachelor last Wednesday.
Meowser, as bachelor Arthur Green introduced him, completely stole the limelight as Art and his would-be girlfriend Matilda lazed on a picnic blanket at the picturesque local gardens.
Except that his name isn't actually Meowser. It would seem the bachelor in question made that up.
"They actually got his name wrong," Fountain Gardens' owner Adrianne Connor says.
"They didn't know what the cats' names were, so I think he just made that up. His name is Stalker," she says.
Though, while Adrianne is happy to clarify Stalker's real name, she won't tell us why he's named that, for fear of causing "embarrassment for somebody".
She says two of her three cats, Stalker and his sibling, Fluffy, are often out and about during events at the venue.
"They just grew up here with people around all the time and they work the crowd," Adrianne says.
"They definitely come out and work the room, and get attention, and get fed. Both of them will be in many wedding photographs."
Adrianne says 10-year-old Stalker is pretty much exactly as he appeared on televisions across the country -- relaxed, affectionate and completely oblivious to the perceived importance of any situation.
"He's obviously very affectionate, and he's a bit of a show-off, I think," she says.
"How he was on that show is what he's like all the time at the weddings. He does that all the time."
She says Stalker can be quite crafty, too.
"I've actually seen him sitting at the table at a wedding, on his own chair, with other people all around him," she says. "He's actually a really funny cat."
Stalker in his starring role on The Bachelor last week. Photo: MEDIAWORKS
She says people often have their group photographs on the lawn, where Arthur and Matilda had their picnic, and Stalker is often part of the action.
"The photographer's calling everyone, you know there's 100 people gathering, and he goes and flops right in front of the bride and groom and they take his photograph. People love it."
He also once sat on a bride's train in the middle of her wedding ceremony in the bamboo gardens, and has been known to walk over people's laps when they're seated during ceremonies.
"They've grown up with people giving them lots of attention, so as soon as they see people, that's what's in their mind, I suppose."
Adrianne says she laughed out loud when she saw him appear on The Bachelor.
"It made me really laugh, because I had no idea what they were going to show," she says.
"On the day they came and did the filming, I just left them to it. I didn't hang around and watch ... so I had no idea what was actually going to be filmed and then, of course, they edit stuff. So when I saw it, I did really laugh. It was hilarious."
Adrianne says Stalker has become known as a memorable part of the Fountain Gardens experience, and his stint on national television last week was no different.
