Stubbs

Stubbs was an orange tabby cat who served as honorary mayor of Talkeetna, a small historic town in Alaska with a population of around 900 people, for almost two decades. His election came about when residents, unhappy with the human candidates on the 1997 ballot, organised a write-in campaign for the local cat — who won. While his role was technically honorary, tourists flocked to Talkeetna specifically to meet the mayoral cat, and he became the town's most effective piece of marketing: Talkeetna receives around 1,000 visitors a month partly because of his fame. Stubbs held court daily at the local general store, where a special water glass with catnip-infused water was kept for him. He survived a dog attack in 2013 that left him requiring emergency veterinary surgery, drawing international news coverage and well-wishes from around the world. Alaska's official politicians noted, somewhat ruefully, that the cat mayor received more positive press than most of them. Stubbs died in July 2017 at the estimated age of 20, having served longer in his post than most elected officials manage in a career.