If you got an invitation to the Department of State’s cat-themed pajama party at the US Embassy in Australia, we have some sad news for you. Turns out, much like that eighth-grade party invite you’re still in therapy over, it was a mistake. During a training exercise, an email went out featuring a photo of a cat dressed like the Cookie Monster holding a plate of cookies. In the subject, the title “meeting.” The Embassy sent a clarifying follow-up two days later, apologizing for the mistake, writing, “Sorry to disappoint those of you who were hoping to attend this ‘cat pajama-jam’ party, but such an event falls well outside our area of expertise.”
Pajama-Jam Cat Diplomacy: U.S. Embassy in Australia has apologized for the State Department emailing a fake meeting invite to a “Cat Pajama-Jam” party with a photo of a cat dressed in Cookie Monster pajamas holding a plate of chocolate chip cookies https://t.co/nZ4LKtvJB8 pic.twitter.com/HVnpR9fYa3
— Anna Massoglia (@annalecta) October 15, 2018
US Mission to Australia public affairs counselor Gavin Sundwall admitted to the error, claiming that it stemmed from “one of our new staff testing out our email newsletter platform.”