A mum was left in fits of laughter after her daughter handed over a packet of school snaps - only to find their pet cat had sneaked into the photoshoot and posed for pictures of his own. Emma Roberts was expecting photos of her two daughters Megan and Chloe, aged 10 and seven, posing proudly in their uniforms during their first time back at school.
But Ziggy, who regularly roams the school grounds and 'thinks he's a student', decided to get in on the act too. The 45-year-old mum said the troublesome tomcat visits Drury Primary School in Buckley, Flintshire, daily to attend assemblies, sleep on the head teacher's desk and relax on the playgrounds.
Cementing his role as an 'honorary student' at the school, Ziggy leapt effortlessly onto the empty seat at the photoshoot last week and calmly posed for a couple of portraits before slinking away. The four-year-old sits and stares down the lens in one snap, while he looks to the right in another like he's posing for a candid shot.
'Mortified' mum-of-two Emma and other parents were left 'in floods of laughter' when Chloe handed over a preview of Tempest Photography's work to show her at the school's gate. Headteacher Mark Biltcliffe admits it's 'impossible' to keep Ziggy off the school grounds so they've warmed to him instead - and he even joked his excellent attendance is 'an example to pupils'.
Emma says he first visited the school, which is a 10-minute walk away from her home, in 2019 when he hid inside the PE cupboard before being ushered out. But the ginger and white puss can't get enough of school and is regularly found roaming around classrooms and relaxing on the school grounds.
Red-faced Emma's since shamed the moggy in a viral Facebook post, describing him as 'ridiculously embarrassing'. She claims his latest stunt tops cats being found relaxing in other people's homes and cars.
Emma said: "Chloe handed the letter to me and I expected it to be her photos. But then when I looked I was just in floods of laughter and so were the other mums standing by me.
"I asked her what had gone on and she said he just jumped on the chair. He didn't need any encouragement, he just got up there for a photo. The school has just accepted him and he goes there at any opportunity. He's there every day.
"He sleeps on the headmaster's desk, on piles of books and he goes into every classroom. He even strolls across the hall when they're having an assembly.
"He's just an absolute menace. It was real mixed emotions, it was funny and embarrassing. The kids see him at school and as soon as you go to pick them up you can hear kids talking about him."
Emma admits the feline was 'close to being sent back' to the rescue centre shortly after adopting him in 2019 as he used to pull her kids' hair and trash the house. But he soon settled down, appearing 'reserved and quiet' in lockdown when the schools were closed, as Emma thinks he missed visiting everyone.
Mr Biltcliffe explains it's tough to stop a cat from wandering on the school property, so they've accepted he's now a regular visitor. The head insists it even helps some children who don't have pets learn how to act around them.
Mr Biltcliffe said: "It's difficult to keep a cat off the school grounds, even if you wanted to, but thankfully he's one of the nicest cats I've ever come across. He thinks he's a pupil so it's fitting he's had his own photo. I think it'll be put up on the staff noticeboard.
"One time he was on the top ledge of the shelves in the secretary's office and he's been known to sneak into mine, sit on the chair and fall asleep. It's his second home I think. His attendance is not an issue and he's actually setting a good example to the other children. We've not been looking to have a school cat or dog really, but he chose us."
Emma, who lives with husband Kevin, 53, said she'd buy a copy of Ziggy's photo to put up on the mantelpiece alongside Chloe and Megan's. Her Facebook post has been liked more than 30,000 times and has racked up more than 4,000 comments, with users purring over how funny the photos are.
The post reads: "If a cat could be the village idiot, then that cat belongs to me. He is ridiculously embarrassing. Any opportunity to visit anyone or anywhere, he'll take it.
"His favourite haunt is the local primary school, where he is known to all the children and habitually sleeps on the headmaster's desk. He took the biscuit last week though, on school photo day when my kids came out from school and handed me these, as well as their own."
One user commented: "That has just made me roar with laughter. I love that the school has included him in the school photos, he looks a very handsome and proud boy having his picture taken."
Another wrote: "I really hope you're buying them because this is a story to treasure forever."
A third commented: "This is literally the best thing I've seen on the Internet in a while."
A Tempest Photography spokesman said: "We are lucky we are able to photograph in such wonderful schools. Following Ziggy's impromptu photoshoot we quickly cleaned the area and went on to capture wonderful smiles from the pupils of Drury Primary School."
