She was just getting famous, and now Paddles the cat is no more.
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The first cat of New Zealand, who just recently rose to prominence thanks to her prowess on Twitter, was hit and killed by a car Tuesday.
Known for her polydactyl abnormality — extra claws that looked like opposable thumbs — Paddles had a Twitter profile, started around the time her mother, Jacinda Ardern, was elected the country’s prime minister.
A rescue cat belonging to Ardern and her partner, TV presenter Clarke Gayford, Paddles had a following of nearly 12,000 on Twitter, where her profile, started last month, read: “Have thumbs, will tweet.”
Thank you so much for all the nice messages. Our crazy little 'sleep anywhere' ginger will be sorely missed, the house feels so empty now 🙁 pic.twitter.com/OCJuJ3i4Xl
— Clarke Gayford (@NZClarke) November 8, 2017
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Gayford took to Twitter to thank well-wishers for their kind notes. He also gave credit to the SPCA that started it all when it connected the feline to the prominent family.