Our Junior boys at the Boys’ School waited in anticipation as author of The Adventures of Mittens: Wellington’s Famous Purr-sonality Silvio Bruinsma walked in and settled down with Mittens for a book reading. From tiny whispers, conversations escalated as our boys’ caught sight of His Royal Floofiness.
Mittens is famous for his penchant for exploring the streets of Wellington where the family used to live. This cheeky and playful Turkish angora cat with his notable fluffy tail made frequent visits to local businesses and schools, took occasional naps in shop windows, crossed streets and hailed cars. His habitual wanderings fast gained attention with a Facebook page set up by the local SPCA with close to 70,000 members, an exhibition of fan art, a sell-out line of Mittens merchandise, and a number-one hit song. In 2020 he was awarded the Key to the City of Wellington by Mayor Andy Foster.
Our Junior syndicate listened attentively as Bruinsma told the story of Mittens’ adventures during the visit. Intrigued by the story, the boys took the opportunity to find out more about Mittens. The open dialogue saw our boys proudly sharing stories about their pets and their responsibilities in caring for them. Bruinsma explained the role that animals can play in people’s mental health and wellbeing, and the causes that the now 13-year-old Mittens had supported over the years. Throughout the day the Junior School boys were engaged in various classroom activities to enhance their learning about animals.
Mitten’s visit to our Boys’ School during the term coincided with the school-wide animal-themed mufti day. The funds raised from the day went towards SPCA which is celebrating its 150 years of service, helping advance animal welfare and prevent cruelty against innocent animals across Aotearoa.
