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Jacinda Ardern’s Cat, Paddles, Has Died

RIP to NZ’s ‘First Cat’

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s famous pet cat, Paddles, has been tragically killed by a car. Known widely as the country’s ‘First Cat’, Paddles was beloved by many and the proud owner of a prolific Twitter account.

The Prime Minister’s office has confirmed the cat’s death, news.com.au reports, and well-wishers have taken to Twitter to express their condolences.

https://twitter.com/FirstCatofNZ/status/927987161311338496

Paddles’ ‘PR Guy’ seems to have taken over her Twitter account to respond.

Paddles, who had opposable thumbs on her claws, was quickly becoming a worldwide political personality in her own right. Ardern shared the below post on her Instagram to mark her pet’s death:

“To anyone who has ever lost a pet, you’ll know how sad we feel,” she captioned the above image. “Paddles was much loved, and not just by us. Thanks for everyone’s thoughts. And on behalf of Paddles, please be kind to the SPCA. They found her before we did, and we will always be grateful for that.”

RIP.

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