Archie the Cat in one of his favourite spots, outside Rawene's Boatshed Cafe. Photo / Peter de Graaf
Archie the Cat in one of his favourite spots, outside Rawene's Boatshed Cafe. Photo / Peter de Graaf
Step aside Mittens. You're not the only famous feline in the country.
Mittens the Cat has gained international attention for wandering the streets and workplaces of central Wellington, taking naps in odd places and posing graciously for selfies with his fans.
He has received the city's top civic award, has64,000 followers on his Facebook page and has been nominated for New Zealander of the Year.
In South Hokianga, however, a cat named Archie has achieved similar status without the fanfare or social media frenzy that surrounds Mittens.
Archie the Cat on patrol on Clendon Esplanade, near the ferry landing. Photo / Leonie Robinson
Every day Archie the Cat can be seen patrolling the town centre, particularly along Clendon Esplanade between the jetty and the ferry landing.
There he wanders into businesses, naps wherever he sees fit, provokes his canine enemies, demands pats from passing humans and regularly gets locked inside shops by mistake.
He has a favourite leather chair in Louis Toorenburg's Puzzle Museum and likes to relax outside the Boatshed Cafe.
Archie the Cat checks out what's happening on Parnell St. Photo / Leonie Robinson
Owner Leonie Robinson, of Haze Real Estate, said Archie's predecessor, Fluffybum, moved in when the family bought the local takeaways in 2006.
Fluffybum was a ''real character'' with an unfortunate and ultimately fatal habit of sleeping on the road.
Archie came from a local litter four years ago and quickly made the town his own.
Archie the Cat takes up his position next to the ferry ramp to keep an eye on who's arriving in town. Photo / Leonie Robinson
He loved attention and would lie on his back inviting pats whenever schoolchildren or tourists walked past, though he didn't like being picked up.
''He's very much his own cat,'' she said.
Like many humans, Archie struggled during the Covid-19 lockdown.
''He was very frustrated. He'd walk around looking for people but there weren't any around.''
Archie the Cat finds a sunny spot in a 120-minute napping zone next to the ferry ramp and the old gun. Photo / Leonie Robinson
Archie had a habit of jumping into strangers' cars and getting locked into shops. Last Christmas Eve he was locked into Simply Fun puzzle shop just as Robinson was about to drive to Auckland.
When he didn't show up for dinner she searched the town, eventually finding him tapping on the shop window. He could have been locked in for days, she said.
''Each time he comes home I'm surprised he's still around. He's very loved, but on his own terms.''
In May this year Mittens was awarded the Key to the City by Wellington Mayor Andy Foster, an honour the 10-year-old feline shares with film-maker Sir Peter Jackson and cricketer Brendon McCullum.
Celebrity cats In the world of New Zealand celebrity cats, urban puss Mittens has catpurred the lion's share of public adoration. The turkish angora was presented with the key to Wellington at a ceremony earlier this year, recognising his role as a capital icon after just three years of living in the city. Mittens is well-known through his city strolls, frequent engagement with humans and the legion of adoring fans who post selfies to social media, including to his Twitter account. Other celebrity cats have included Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's cat Paddles. The First Puss, who was particularly distinctive as he had extra toes, was killed in 2017 after being pounced on by a car. Paddles' fame - like Mittens - was international. In the case of Paddles, he was profiled in Vanity Fair and also loudly meowed through the course of a phone call between Ardern and President Donald Trump.
