11 July, 2024

Metal moggy has fan from afar

Foreign fan falls for fashionable feline

What a yarn… Seven-year-old Thea Pegler from Germany asked her Devonport grandmother, Jean Pegler, to knit this winter outfit for Devonport Library’s Benjamin cat statue.

Devonport’s statue of Benjamin the cat has proved an international hit, with a German seven-year-old excited to visit and dress it in a hat and scarf last week.
Thea Pegler’s grandmother Jean, who lives in Devonport, regularly sends cuttings from the Flagstaff to her son, daughter-in-law and granddaughter, who live in Hanover.
That was how Thea learned the story of the late library cat and the sculpture of him that is regularly dressed up by the library staff.
When the family came to New Zealand last week, Thea was delighted to dress the sculpture with the hat and scarf that Jean knitted specially.

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Benjamin: A cat for all seasons

Benjamin the library cat seems certain to retain his best-dressed status thanks to his loyal local devotees.
Chief among them are at Devonport Library, where librarian Jicca Smith says: “Benjamin has a number of couturiers among the staff, who knit for him, purchase items locally or enjoy creating his outfits.”
The cat, which has pride of place in sculpture form near the library’s entrance, also attracts tributes from residents and interest from tourists.
Created by Fiona Startup and installed in December 2022, the statue commemorates the local library-visiting feline who died in 2017.
Along with library staff dressing up the sculpture, Smith has in recent times noticed other people leaving small items with him, such as flowers, toys and on Anzac Day a poppy.
“We believe he also appreciates a warm hat or scarf and protection from the many seasons of Devonport weather.”
Unusually for a modern-day celebrity, Benjamin does not have his own social media account, but many people take and post photographs of him. Asked if she had a favourite Benjamin outfit, Smith said those when Benjamin got into holiday spirit along with the community were especially fun.
“He is a darling and remarkably easy to dress compared to the cats I have known.”