Jacinda Ardern, the charismatic new leader of New Zealand,
announced the death of the Prime Moggy on Wednesday after
Paddles was hit by a car the previous evening, prompting an
outpouring of grief on social media.
Paddles' rise to social media fame matched her 37-year-old
owner's meteoric ascent to the prime ministership after only
taking over as leader of her Labour Party in August.
A "First Cat of NZ" Twitter account was set up by an anonymous
user last month, featuring regular tweets about the photogenic
cat's famous "mummy", Ardern, and quickly attracted 11,000
followers.
People from around the world posted messages such as "rest in
peace" and "gone too soon" with the hashtag "#paddles".
Paddles the polydactyl cat's feats included being able to hold a
pair of glasses with her opposable thumb and she featured
regularly in photos of Ardern at work.
"To anyone who has ever lost a pet, you'll know how sad we feel.
Paddles was much loved, and not just by us. Thanks for
everyone's thoughts," Ardern wrote on Facebook.
Ardern's rise to power has generated intense interest in her
personal life and drew comparisons with other youthful
trailblazers such as France's Emmanuel Macron and Canada's
Justin Trudeau.
And, according to Ardern's partner Clarke Gayford, Paddles often
played her part in affairs of state, even interrupting the
premier's first call with U.S. President Donald Trump in
October.
"As the call was transferred our cat (yes that bloody cat) came
flying through the cat-flap," Gayford, a television presenter,
wrote in a column for the Spinoff news website.
"She leapt up onto the chair next to Jacinda and began
announcing her very squawky arrival," he wrote.
(Reporting by Charlotte Greenfield; Editing by Paul Tait)
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