When she purrs, she dribbles – copious amounts – and has various names from Jeff to Bruce to Mr Dribbles, when she is actually an Eve.
At 20 years old, the sociable feline is the adored and regular visitor to Waimea College where she is cuddled and treated like royalty.
Rachel Beard who works in the school kiosk, is a big fan of the elderly tabby who is often seen around the school several times a day, enjoying the attention of students and staff.
“She’s the community cat and everyone knows her. She’s got the funniest personality and is very confident wandering through the crowd.
“She can barely meow – she has this little noise and loves her cuddles. The dribble – it’s slimy dribble! But it suits her.”
When Rachel started talking about the community cat – which at that stage everyone assumed was male – she discovered their visitor was doing the rounds of the school most days, often visiting the special education department where she was one of the highlights of their day. Everywhere she went, she was making friends.
“The whole school knows her. She must start at the front of the school and do the loop. She gets picked up, given cuddles and taken into classrooms. People just love her – she’s adored by many.”
Her owner, Kevin Graham, says her social calendar extends beyond the college, and she often visits the retirement village up the road before heading to the school.
“She’s quite a community cat. She gives a bit of warmth and happiness to start their day off. I just reckon it’s so cool for the kids.”
Kevin adopted Eve as a kitten from the SPCA while living in Mapua, before moving to Richmond where she has got to know her neighbourhood well over the years. She joins one neighbour in the garden while they are weeding and gets the occasional feed at another which is why he supplies them with cat biscuits from time to time.
“Some nights she doesn’t come home and I see someone else has got her.”
Despite her age, she is still the undisputed boss of the household’s three German Shepherds and has “punch ups” to prove it.
“She has been brought up with dogs and knows how to defend herself. She’s the boss. When she comes in the house, she smooches them and then they start to have a play fight, so she puts them in line. The oldest one, Bruno, bunts her to try and bait her.”
Boss at home and social butterfly, even at 20, Kevin says Eve loves it all and when she’s happy, her purr brings on the dribble.
“She just loves attention and when her motor starts up, then man she dribbles.”
