Whangārei's yoga with kittens gets off to a cute start

There were smiles all around as cute fluffy kittens invaded a yoga session in Whangārei for a good cause.

Small black, ginger and tabby kittens skittered their way across yoga mats as they went between the 14 participants exploring and getting cuddles.

A few mews could be heard around the room and there was even a cry of "don't you eat the cord".

Colleagues Kirsity Bale and Kim Rhind were first time yoga goers who enjoyed the kittens. Photo/John Stone

Some kittens ended up on the shoulders of the women, one went snooping around the shoes and others snuck under the standing lights in the room.

It was all part of a fundraising event called Kittens with Yoga which was raising money for the Whangārei Cat Rescue shelter which is run from Samantha Emmerson's home.

The events was put together by Emmerson and Loka Yoga owner Sharon Thatcher.

Loka Yoga owner Sharon Thatcher with one of the kittens from the shelter. Photo/John Stone

The Northern Advocate went along to the first event held at Loka Yoga on Vine St on Thursday night. A second event was held last night.

Emmerson brought along 10 kittens, ranging in age from six to eight weeks old. After plenty of initial cuddles with the kittens, the participants did get into some yoga while the kittens were free to roam.

Thatcher said it was a really enjoyable evening.

"The key thing with an event like this is teaching a style of yoga that is really achievable."

She had one kitten climb up her leg while she was in a lunge. It stayed for a while before heading off to see someone else.

Thatcher said $800 was raised across the two nights.

Work colleagues Kirsity Bale and Kim Rhind had never been to yoga before but came "because there was kittens" and it was a good cause.

Bale spotted the event of Facebook. "I tagged her and said we're going."

The pair thought adding kittens to yoga was fun and lightened the mood.

Bonita Burgess said she loved kittens and yoga and couldn't think of a better combination.

"I've been doing yoga off and on for quite a few years, I've just got back into it after recovering from a shoulder operation and when I saw this on Facebook I couldn't help but sign up."

Emmerson said the money raised from the events would go towards food and medication for the kittens she has at her shelter.

She said in 10 months of being open, she has had about 150 kittens. Thatcher and Emmerson were looking at the possibility of making it a regular event.