At the Cool Cat Club we love stories of cats doing their thing and reaching heights us humans can only try and strive to reach. So when we heard the story of Stubbs, the cat who wanted to be mayor, we just had to tell you about it.
Famous cats are now a well-played trope in pop culture. We often credit the internet for this, and yet our fascination for eccentric animal stories stretches back farther than the reaches of the world wide web we know today.
A pre-meme culture example of feline celebrity is Mayor Stubbs from Talkeetna, Alaska. From his humble beginnings in a cardboard box outside Nagley’s General Store, Stubbs developed a public identity that put his otherwise sleepy hometown on the map. Tourists would visit just to get a glimpse of the peculiar civil servant while en route to more travelled destinations.
Stubbs was a simple cat and a relaxed mayoral representative for Talkeetna. Since the historic district had never had a mayor before, the Nagley’s General Store where he was adopted by Lauri Stec – the store’s manager – was used as his office. He was known to frequent local restaurants for his drink of choice: catnip water served in a wine or margarita glass.
His public life began to wind down in 2015, and he passed away on July 21, 2017 at the honourable age of 20 years and 3 months. It is recognised by most that he held office from July 18, 1997 – July 21, 2017, and never had a whisper of complaints from his constituents his entire term. He is remembered as the best mayor Talkeetna ever had, albeit their only one.
Of course, not everyone accepts this remarkable story as fact. Plenty of people will argue that a cat cannot be mayor, that Talkeetna (as a historic district and not a proper town) doesn’t qualify itself for a mayor at all, and that the entire story is overblown to draw in tourists. Such people are, arguably, incredibly dull and add very little spark to life.
Stubbs may have been Talkeetna’s only mayor, but he is hardly the only cat to ever hold an official position. Around the world and throughout history, you’ll find cats serving alongside humans in political office, military service, and many other agencies. Plenty of these ambitious kitties have been recognised in an official capacity, with Stubbs being one of the better known in a long line of distinguished cats.
It’s noteworthy that Talkeetna remembers Stubbs’ term as mayor as a happy one. Cats are laid back, no-nonsense, and will never get caught up in the bureaucracy that stokes so much conflict. In a way, he was perfect for the job because he was a cat, and perhaps that’s what makes his life as inspirational as people seem to find it; we could all use a little less fuss, a drink of water, and a quiet home.