Has anybody seen Chase? - Elusive black feline on the loose

It all started six months ago, when Chase the cat discovered that he lived on the doorstep of the concrete jungle. And since then, there has been no stopping his frequent escapades. 

“I got a message going, your cat's at Chiwahwahs Bar.”

A scenario that has become the norm for record store owner Nick White, “parent” of the friendly feline.

This constant messaging eventually led to the creation of “Has anybody seen Chase?”, a Facebook group for the adventurer. 

The page has only been online for a week but has already gained over 1,600 followers, a trend that doesn't seem to be slowing down. 

“It's kind of like going out with a celebrity or something…. but he's not really aware of his social media notoriety at the moment, Nick said.

The family adopted the cat and his sister from the SPCA when they were kittens almost three years ago, his cheeky personality not yet showing. 

“Maybe he's at teenagehood now, you know, two and a half years.” 

Since his recent coming of age, Chase has become a familiar face in the central city. 

The furry friend often receives many cuddles and hellos whenever he goes for a wander.  

“It's actually just been really quite heartwarming to think that there's a huge number of strangers who know our cat and have spent time with him and love him and look forward to seeing him on the way to work or when they're out drinking by The Bridge of Remembrance.” 

Some of his regular haunts include Riverside Market, Margaret Mahy Playground, the entrance of Te Pae and so on. 

“Every morning, the DMs are just full of pictures of our cat just hanging around town.”

Nick told Metro News the feline has even had a few run-ins with officials….

“He keeps trying to get into the Convention Centre… Apparently, he's managed to make it through the doors and been carried out by security.”

Chase has also built quite a name for himself on the lost cats Facebook Groups and with nearby veterinary clinics. 

“At the cat vet, if someone calls up and goes, 'I've found a little black cat in the central business district', they'll go, 'That's Chase… Leave him alone”

People even beginning to come to his defence when he gets the occasional backlash in comment sections.   

“There were people who would be like, ‘You should keep your cat inside. You can't keep a cat in a central city.’ But he's so beloved now that people just pile on and go, ‘No, that's Chase. He's amazing. He's a good boy.”

When asked whether the constant fleeing is a problem, Nick seemed comfortable with Chase’s nine lives.

“He's crossing a lot of roads. He's going to a lot of dangerous places. But he's a tough guy.”

So if you see a furry, black friend prowling the streets of the central city, don’t fret, don't call the vet, it's just Chase out for his daily walk. 

“He's just adventuring. He's living his best life”