https://wellington.gen.nz/cats https://www.newtownfestival.org.nz/bug-michigan/ Bug Michigan is a four piece nose rock / lesbian shoegaze band from Te Whanganui-a-Tara formed by previous members of Maiden Name and Elizabeth Sanctuary Welding school for Girls. Bug Michigan write songs for women, their cats and small little creatures with too many legs. More than anything, Bug Michigan loves you. cats animals newtown places events wcnhosted Mon, 15 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMT https://www.newtownfestival.org.nz/bug-michigan/ Newtown Festival 2025-12-15T00:00:00Z http://www.catsprotectionwellington.org.nz/blog/post/157962/blind-as-a-bat-but-still-a-sneaky-ninja/ Ten years after being adopted from the CPW shelter, Piu is “blind as a bat” but still living her very best life. animals cats communitygroups Thu, 11 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMT http://www.catsprotectionwellington.org.nz/blog/post/157962/blind-as-a-bat-but-still-a-sneaky-ninja/ Cats Protection Wellington 2025-12-11T00:00:00Z http://www.catsprotectionwellington.org.nz/blog/post/152020/stunning-new-cages-revealed/ The CPW shelter is looking pretty sharp now, with fresh new cages throughout!The cages in the main lounge, New Entrants, and Timids were originally built in 2007 and had started to wear out, with the wire on the cage door degrading and woodwork needing regular attention. animals cats communitygroups Sat, 13 Sep 2025 00:00:00 GMT http://www.catsprotectionwellington.org.nz/blog/post/152020/stunning-new-cages-revealed/ Cats Protection Wellington 2025-09-13T00:00:00Z http://www.catsprotectionwellington.org.nz/blog/post/151437/kettlebelles-amazing-new-life/ Zoe’s snores were legendary during her stay in the CPW shelter, all the more because we knew she couldn’t hear herself. animals cats communitygroups Tue, 02 Sep 2025 00:00:00 GMT http://www.catsprotectionwellington.org.nz/blog/post/151437/kettlebelles-amazing-new-life/ Cats Protection Wellington 2025-09-02T00:00:00Z http://www.catsprotectionwellington.org.nz/blog/post/151438/olly-gets-his-best-life/ Sometimes a cat comes through our doors who really has a hard time finding their perfect home. animals cats communitygroups Sun, 31 Aug 2025 00:00:00 GMT http://www.catsprotectionwellington.org.nz/blog/post/151438/olly-gets-his-best-life/ Cats Protection Wellington 2025-08-31T00:00:00Z http://www.catsprotectionwellington.org.nz/blog/post/151674/agm-report-2025/ The CPW Annual General Meeting was held this year on 31 August online. The President's Report can be downloaded below.Above: CPW President Iona Anderson at the start of the shelter renovations to replace all the cat cages with newer, more resilient facilities.... animals cats communitygroups Sat, 30 Aug 2025 00:00:00 GMT http://www.catsprotectionwellington.org.nz/blog/post/151674/agm-report-2025/ Cats Protection Wellington 2025-08-30T00:00:00Z https://slowboatrecords.co.nz/blogs/blog/how-did-i-get-hear-17-alan-gregg-on-ed-cakes-downtown-puff Behold the Golden Man! Some time in the mid-1990s I was sitting on a sofa in Auckland watching a Saturday morning kids’ TV show called What Now? A band came on and played a song which featured the lyric “If I go to hospital / Will you administer my pill?” I had no idea who they were, but the song was brilliant, and one of the band members appeared to have springs attached to the soles of his shoes. A few weeks later I met two members of that band, Edmund McWilliams and Geoff Maddock, at a Supergroove show at Auckland University. We talked about our shared enthusiasm for the music of Jonathan Richman, and they gave me a cassette(!) of some songs they were working on. When I got home and played the cassette it was a revelation. It contained intensely melodic songs with absurd lyrics and unusual arrangements. I felt like I’d stumbled upon some kind of secret treasure. They were pop songs, but not like anything I’d heard before. The songs on that cassette later turned into the eponymous Bressa Creeting Cake album (Flying Nun Records 1997), which is still spoken of in reverential tones in certain circles. The three piece Bressa Creeting Cake band, with Joel Wilton on drums, came on tour around New Zealand with The Mutton Birds (who I played bass with), and it felt like a privilege to watch them play these amazing songs to baffled audiences each night. By that time Edmund McWilliams was becoming better known under the moniker Edmund Cake. In 1999 Edmund and I played together in Bic Runga’s band, when she supported Paul Kelly on a tour of Australia. On that trip I saw first hand how Ed’s approach was not like other musicians I knew. At one show Bic’s band was invited to join Paul Kelly and his band onstage for their encore, and during the song Ed played Paul Kelly’s acoustic guitar with such intensity that his hand bled all over the body of the guitar. At soundcheck the next day Paul Kelly’s unimpressed guitar technician greeted Ed with the guitar and a cleaning cloth. Ed set to work making it spotless, and we weren’t invited onstage for the encore again. Bressa Creeting Cake split up around that time, and Geoff Maddock formed the band Goldenhorse, which went on to become hugely popular in New Zealand. All of this is a very longwinded way of getting to the point that after the demise of Bressa Creeting Cake, Edmund Cake made a solo album called Downtown Puff (Lil’ Chief Records 2004), which I consider to be a masterpiece. Around the time Bressa Creeting Cake ended, an A&R man from the Dreamworks record label in LA came to visit Ed in New Zealand and gave him an advance to make some demos. Ed recorded three songs and sent them to the label. After not hearing from the A&R guy for a while, Ed called him in LA to ask what he thought of the songs. He replied that they were “Quite great”. Dreamworks did not sign Edmund Cake to the label in the end, but they did sign a little-known artist named Nelly Furtado. In the meantime, Tim Finn had become a supporter of Ed’s music and lent him some recording equipment for a studio Ed had assembled in a building in Gore Street in Auckland. Neil Finn had also become a fan and gave Ed time to complete Downtown Puff in his own studio. Edmund Cake is an unusually talented songwriter. He has a gift for composing melodies and chord changes which are both surprising and breathtakingly beautiful. He’s also able to write lyrics which can be funny and strangely affecting at the same time. And he doesn’t sound like anyone else. On Downtown Puff Ed played most of the instruments, and he engineered and produced the songs himself. It’s an album that constantly treads the line between the sublime and the ridiculous, and sometimes does both at the same time. "You’re Watching Me” and “Beautiful Sleep” are ballads as melodic and effortless as any I can think of. The song "Gunga" sounds like Captain Beefheart jamming with Devo on the set of Sesame Street. “My Son the Harpist” tells the story, over an Omnichord drum beat, of a young harp player who meets a tragic end. Ed was improvising the lyrics the first time he ever recorded the vocal on that song and he never changed them. As a result, there are some spontaneous words in that song that you won’t find in any dictionary. The song “Oh Baby Bear” is the catchiest song you’ll ever hear about the Auckland Public Transport system. Ed sings “She’s got a cuppa tea and sandwich, she’s feeling fine / She just crossed the Pukapuka line,” all delivered in a fair dinkum Kiwi accent. Perhaps Downtown Puff’ s master stroke is the track “Golden Man”, which sounds a bit like a 1970s psychedelic folk band singing a gospel song. The poetic lyrics, swooping melodies and Ed’s trademark falsetto vocals all contribute to the song’s eerie beauty. “He commands the cats to claw / He commands the boats to shore / He commands the gulls to fly / He commands the crops to die”. Sometimes Edmund’s music can evoke the genius of Brian Wilson in the way he can take really unusual chord changes and make them seem completely natural in a pop song. But this music doesn’t sound like Brian Wilson. Ed often adopts different character voices for the songs. One moment he’s singing in a sweet falsetto, and in the next he’s growling like Tom Waits. Each song has a distinct vocal identity, almost reminiscent of the way Prince used completely different voices for some of his songs. But this music sounds nothing like Prince. Sometimes I wonder why the Downtown Puff album isn’t better known than it is. It certainly has some devoted fans, but I can’t help thinking more people would like it if they knew about it. For me it’s the work of a visionary musical artist, and it's a collection of songs that contains just the right balance of beauty, mystery, playfulness and outrageously good tunes. It’s also worth mentioning that Edmund Cake released another album under the name Pie Warmer a few years later called The Fearsome Feeling (2009 Lil’Chief Records), which is every bit as great as Downtown Puff. Alan Gregg last year released a superb album under the name Polite Company, entitled "Please Go Wild" - first single "Circulation" is here, we have copies on LP and CD, and his website is here wilton cats places animals cubastreet music performingarts retail business Tue, 06 May 2025 00:00:00 GMT https://slowboatrecords.co.nz/blogs/blog/how-did-i-get-hear-17-alan-gregg-on-ed-cakes-downtown-puff Slow Boat Records 2025-05-06T00:00:00Z -41.2944181 174.7752129 Slow Boat Records, Cuba Street, Te Aro, Wellington, Wellington City, Wellington, 6040, New Zealand http://www.catsprotectionwellington.org.nz/blog/post/144941/turning-wool-into-gold-for-kitties/ Gail is one of the unsung, invisible heroes who has been knitting items for the good of the CPW cats for years. cats animals communitygroups Sat, 03 May 2025 00:00:00 GMT http://www.catsprotectionwellington.org.nz/blog/post/144941/turning-wool-into-gold-for-kitties/ Cats Protection Wellington 2025-05-03T00:00:00Z http://www.catsprotectionwellington.org.nz/blog/post/144705/memorial-garden-ready-to-bloom/ The Memorial Garden behind the CPW has historically housed the ashes of cats who passed away at the shelter or in foster care, and includes a collection of stone plaques and statues. cats animals communitygroups Sat, 03 May 2025 00:00:00 GMT http://www.catsprotectionwellington.org.nz/blog/post/144705/memorial-garden-ready-to-bloom/ Cats Protection Wellington 2025-05-03T00:00:00Z http://www.catsprotectionwellington.org.nz/blog/post/144854/wasabi-big-recovery-for-a-small-cat/ In December 2024, tabby girl Wasabi was surrendered to CPW by her family as they’d been unable to find a pet-friendly rental. animals cats communitygroups Sat, 03 May 2025 00:00:00 GMT http://www.catsprotectionwellington.org.nz/blog/post/144854/wasabi-big-recovery-for-a-small-cat/ Cats Protection Wellington 2025-05-03T00:00:00Z http://www.catsprotectionwellington.org.nz/blog/post/144707/microchip-leads-ninja-back-home/ Late in January, the CPW shelter team took a call from an 82-year-old lady, who had a cat making himself at home at her place. animals cats communitygroups Wed, 30 Apr 2025 00:00:00 GMT http://www.catsprotectionwellington.org.nz/blog/post/144707/microchip-leads-ninja-back-home/ Cats Protection Wellington 2025-04-30T00:00:00Z http://www.catsprotectionwellington.org.nz/blog/post/144465/rosie-posys-new-lease-of-life/ Rosie Posy came to us in a bit of sorry state after the death of her elderly owner. animals cats communitygroups Sun, 20 Apr 2025 00:00:00 GMT http://www.catsprotectionwellington.org.nz/blog/post/144465/rosie-posys-new-lease-of-life/ Cats Protection Wellington 2025-04-20T00:00:00Z http://www.catsprotectionwellington.org.nz/blog/post/133639/2024-annual-general-meeting/ Our Annual General Meeting will be held at the CPW shelter on Sunday 25 August at 3pm. It will be at 29 Vancouver Street in Kingston, upstairs in the West Wing meeting room.To vote at the AGM, you must be a financial member for 2024/25. You can rejoin or become a member by completing the online form on this website. ... animals cats communitygroups Thu, 15 Aug 2024 00:00:00 GMT http://www.catsprotectionwellington.org.nz/blog/post/133639/2024-annual-general-meeting/ Cats Protection Wellington 2024-08-15T00:00:00Z http://www.catsprotectionwellington.org.nz/blog/post/133509/zukos-superstar-life/ Of all the cats who have found their homes through the CPW shelter in the last year, Zuko would have to be voted most likely to star in his own TV show. cats animals communitygroups Tue, 13 Aug 2024 00:00:00 GMT http://www.catsprotectionwellington.org.nz/blog/post/133509/zukos-superstar-life/ Cats Protection Wellington 2024-08-13T00:00:00Z http://www.catsprotectionwellington.org.nz/blog/post/110408/cairo-takes-over-the-office/ This pretty tabby girl (11) came in when her folks moved overseas to take care of elderly parents and couldn’t take Cairo with them. animals cats communitygroups Sun, 10 Dec 2023 00:00:00 GMT http://www.catsprotectionwellington.org.nz/blog/post/110408/cairo-takes-over-the-office/ Cats Protection Wellington 2023-12-10T00:00:00Z http://www.catsprotectionwellington.org.nz/blog/post/110406/adopting-austin-was-a-bit-hairy/ He quickly established a personality that was feisty, bitey and swipey, and most volunteers learned not to get in range of his claws, especially given his long reach. animals cats communitygroups Mon, 18 Sep 2023 00:00:00 GMT http://www.catsprotectionwellington.org.nz/blog/post/110406/adopting-austin-was-a-bit-hairy/ Cats Protection Wellington 2023-09-18T00:00:00Z http://www.catsprotectionwellington.org.nz/blog/post/107088/remembering-hugo-rusbridge/ Hugo will be best-remembered by long-standing volunteers from recent years, as he would come in every week to spend hours combing and grooming the cats. obituaries animals cats communitygroups Sat, 08 Jul 2023 00:00:00 GMT http://www.catsprotectionwellington.org.nz/blog/post/107088/remembering-hugo-rusbridge/ Cats Protection Wellington 2023-07-08T00:00:00Z http://www.catsprotectionwellington.org.nz/blog/post/107090/stone-keepsakes-made-with-love/ Headhunted from the Netherlands to take up the position of Professor in Ethical Leadership at Victoria University’s School of Business, Karin and her husband Juan (an IT specialist) moved to New Zealand in September 2016. animals cats communitygroups Sat, 08 Jul 2023 00:00:00 GMT http://www.catsprotectionwellington.org.nz/blog/post/107090/stone-keepsakes-made-with-love/ Cats Protection Wellington 2023-07-08T00:00:00Z http://www.catsprotectionwellington.org.nz/blog/post/107087/consuela-retires-with-grace/ She now has a home with people dedicated to meeting her every need. animals cats communitygroups Sat, 08 Jul 2023 00:00:00 GMT http://www.catsprotectionwellington.org.nz/blog/post/107087/consuela-retires-with-grace/ Cats Protection Wellington 2023-07-08T00:00:00Z https://www.letstalk.wellington.govt.nz/cats-in-wellington-survey Our Cat Owners of Wellington Survey is now live. cats animals consultation wcc government Tue, 04 Apr 2023 00:00:00 GMT https://www.letstalk.wellington.govt.nz/cats-in-wellington-survey Kōrero Mai | Let's Talk | Wellington City Council 2023-04-04T00:00:00Z http://www.catsprotectionwellington.org.nz/blog/post/87077/mr-magoo-melts-healts/ Mr Magoo enjoys a cuddle with CPW team lead Delwyn.... animals cats communitygroups Mon, 09 May 2022 12:00:00 GMT http://www.catsprotectionwellington.org.nz/blog/post/87077/mr-magoo-melts-healts/ Cats Protection Wellington 2022-05-09T12:00:00Z http://www.catsprotectionwellington.org.nz/blog/post/87078/countdown-to-new-building/ We’re almost there with CPW’s new shelter building!  CPW, Cranko Architects, and DRD Builders Ltd are onto the last things to do, such as installing a downpipe and heat pump controls, and replacing a door in the laundry. animals cats communitygroups Sat, 07 May 2022 00:00:00 GMT http://www.catsprotectionwellington.org.nz/blog/post/87078/countdown-to-new-building/ Cats Protection Wellington 2022-05-07T00:00:00Z -41.3232502 174.761316 Vancouver Street, Kingston, Wellington, Wellington City, Wellington, 6242, New Zealand http://www.catsprotectionwellington.org.nz/blog/post/87079/cpws-oldest-foster-cat-reaches-23/ Gypsy had a close bond with Geena, who fostered and loved her for three years.... animals cats communitygroups Mon, 02 May 2022 12:00:00 GMT http://www.catsprotectionwellington.org.nz/blog/post/87079/cpws-oldest-foster-cat-reaches-23/ Cats Protection Wellington 2022-05-02T12:00:00Z http://www.catsprotectionwellington.org.nz/blog/post/87076/high-demand-for-desexing-help/ Oreo was a stray who needed to be desexed before he came in to us. All cats in the CPW shelter are desexed.... animals cats communitygroups Mon, 14 Feb 2022 11:00:00 GMT http://www.catsprotectionwellington.org.nz/blog/post/87076/high-demand-for-desexing-help/ Cats Protection Wellington 2022-02-14T11:00:00Z http://www.catsprotectionwellington.org.nz/blog/post/87075/bostiks-sticky-situation/ He was noticed in the machinery room of a local factory, which houses a moving conveyor belt. animals cats communitygroups Mon, 07 Feb 2022 11:00:00 GMT http://www.catsprotectionwellington.org.nz/blog/post/87075/bostiks-sticky-situation/ Cats Protection Wellington 2022-02-07T11:00:00Z http://www.catsprotectionwellington.org.nz/blog/post/87074/nikau-foundation-donates-5k-to-cpw/ Tama is one of our cats who benefits from Nikau Foundation's donation. He has ongoing medical needs due to a number of conditions, and is cared for at the shelter.... animals cats communitygroups Mon, 31 Jan 2022 11:00:00 GMT http://www.catsprotectionwellington.org.nz/blog/post/87074/nikau-foundation-donates-5k-to-cpw/ Cats Protection Wellington 2022-01-31T11:00:00Z http://www.catsprotectionwellington.org.nz/blog/post/75611/mysterys-miracle-rescue/ A pest removal expert seems an unlikely ally to a cat rescue charity, but his rescue of Mystery from destruction was one of the high points of our year. animals cats communitygroups Tue, 28 Dec 2021 02:59:39 GMT http://www.catsprotectionwellington.org.nz/blog/post/75611/mysterys-miracle-rescue/ Cats Protection Wellington 2021-12-28T02:59:39Z http://www.catsprotectionwellington.org.nz/blog/post/75021/keep-your-cats-sun-safe-this-summer/ Keep all your family sun-smart this summer – including your cats! While we’re slapping on our own sunscreen and hats, we also need to protect our pets from the harsh New Zealand sunlight. animals cats communitygroups Sun, 05 Dec 2021 23:41:38 GMT http://www.catsprotectionwellington.org.nz/blog/post/75021/keep-your-cats-sun-safe-this-summer/ Cats Protection Wellington 2021-12-05T23:41:38Z http://www.catsprotectionwellington.org.nz/blog/post/70727/farewell-to-tasman-street-vets/ One of CPW’s longest supporting vet partners has sadly closed its doors after a 50 year history. animals cats communitygroups Tue, 17 Aug 2021 12:00:00 GMT http://www.catsprotectionwellington.org.nz/blog/post/70727/farewell-to-tasman-street-vets/ Cats Protection Wellington 2021-08-17T12:00:00Z http://www.catsprotectionwellington.org.nz/blog/post/70728/cpw-t-shirts-now-online/ CPW’s online shop now offers more items to buy, alongside our calendars and Christmas cards. animals cats communitygroups Tue, 10 Aug 2021 12:00:00 GMT http://www.catsprotectionwellington.org.nz/blog/post/70728/cpw-t-shirts-now-online/ Cats Protection Wellington 2021-08-10T12:00:00Z