RSVP MEOW

U.S. Embassy Accidentally Distributes Photo of a Cat Dressed as Cookie Monster

Canberra diplomats apologize for the invite complete with a pajama-wearing cat.

The U.S. embassy in the Australian capital of Canberra has apologized after a “training error” saw it send out an event invitation featuring a cat wearing a Cookie Monster costume. The email, titled “meeting,” featured a tabby cat wearing a Cookie Monster outfit and holding a plate of cookies with the title “cat pyjama-jam.” The email also contained a section in Latin and recipients were given the option to hit an RSVP tab. It’s unknown how widely the email, sent by the U.S. Department of State, was distributed. “Sorry to disappoint those of you who were hoping to attend this ‘cat pyjama-jam’ party, but such an event falls well outside our area of expertise,” wrote U.S. Mission to Australia public-affairs counselor Gavin Sundwall in a follow-up email two days after the original. “It was a training error made by one of our new staff testing out our email newsletter platform.” Sundwall said “strong new management controls” would be added.