Some things can really only happen in Alaska. Crazy as it sounds, the town of Talkeetna (population ~800) had a very unusual mayor for the past 20 years: a cat named Stubbs. Elected to office in 1997 when he was just a kitten, Stubbs served faithfully until his recent death in July 2017.
Residents of Talkeetna were very upset to learn of his passing, as he had become a local legend over the last 20 years. The owners of Nagley’s General Store, which was Stubbs’ adopted home, shared the news.
“Stubbs lived for 20 years and 3 months. He was a trooper until the very last day of his life; meowing at us throughout the day to pet him or to come sit on the bed with him and let him snuggle and purr for hours in our lap. Thank you for the past 31 months,” said his owners in a statement posted on Twitter.
Stubbs was elected by popular vote in response to the town residents’ disappointment with the human candidates. Since the town is considered a ‘historical district,’ the position of mayor is mostly symbolic. Stubbs was allowed to remain mayor for two decades.
“He doesn’t raise our taxes — we have no sales tax. He doesn’t interfere with business. He’s honest,” Lauri Stec, manager of Nagley’s General Store, told CNN.
While he had a pretty laid-back attitude when it came to governing, he was not without demands. Store employees reported that he often demanded to be picked up and put on the counter, required an afternoon nap, and would only drink water out of a catnip-laced wine glass.
Stubbs will be missed by the residents of Talkeetna and the many tourists who paid him a visit over the years.
Become an Insider
