For two decades, Mayor Stubbs the cat officially held the highest office in one small town in Alaska. This is his one-of-a-kind story.
Marc - Andre Runcie - Unger / FlickrMayor Stubbs the CT , the loss leader of Talkeetna , Alaska for 20 years
A demanding yellow and orange hedonist , with zero qualifications , elect in a round of anti - establishment dissent despite having no experience , no platforms to speak of , no material big businessman — and no opposable thumbs . This was Mayor Stubbs the computed tomography , loss leader of Talkeetna , Alaska for nearly 20 twelvemonth .
Talkeetna lies about halfway between Anchorage and the foothill of Denali National Park , in southerly Alaska . A way-out residential district , Talkeetna is known for a few things ( besides Mayor Stubbs the cat ) . One is the Moose Dropping Festival they host , in which moose dung is flung from a eggbeater every July and lookers - on guess where it ’ll land . Another is the Wilderness Woman Contest , where local women prove their physical art with games of strength , like toss firewood and hunting moose .
Marc-Andre Runcie-Unger/FlickrMayor Stubbs the cat, the leader of Talkeetna, Alaska for 20 years
Talkeetna is so singular that the town of Cicely inNorthern Exposurewas mirrored after it .
To call Talkeetna a minuscule townspeople would be an understatement ; with fewer than 900 residents , “ settlement ” really does it more justice . In fact , as an unincorporated territorial dominion , it ’s not even really a township at all . involvement , however , mean very petty in political science . In 1997 , the mayoral election sparked apathy in the community , with no candidate take for desirable enough to lead .
At the same metre , Lauri Stec , coach at Nagley ’s General Store , picked a kitty from a boxfull of undesirable cats . She selected a lilliputian peppiness kitten , without a tail end , whom she fittingly dubbed “ Stubbs . ”
Jenni Konrad/FlickrMayor Stubbs the cat
A political star was born . The citizenry of Talkeetna reenact a write - in cause , and Mayor Stubbs the cat became the townsfolk ’s unexampled loss leader .
While whimsical , the Talkeetnans were n’t totally mad — the mayorhood was more symbolic than anything else . But , that does n’t signify his legacy is n’t a doting one . According to Stec , “ He does n’t raise our taxis — we have no sales tax . He does n’t step in with commercial enterprise . He ’s honest . ”
Jenni Konrad / FlickrMayor Stubbs the cat
With evidently the desolate minimum met , the denizens of Talkeetna were contented to let their furry mayor traipse around towndrinking catnip - spiked waterfrom stemware and “ taking get together ” at the General Store / his office staff . Mayor Stubbs ’ only demand were attention when he wants it , and interference when he did n’t ( the holidaymaker who visit his field would get a bit too well-disposed ) .
For all his maverick control , the laissez - faire leader result a fairly scandal - free reign , until he had a run - in with an unleashed dog . The canine mauled Stubbs , who was leftwith a punctured lung , and well as broken bones and deep cuts . The stalwart city manager survived , however , and preserve up his career until he died four year later , in 2016 , at the age of 20 .
“ We knew Stubbs before he really know us . Never did we reckon that the Mayor of Talkeetna would become our raw favorite and in effect friend”wrote the Spone family , who buy the General Store and inherited the mayor along with it . “ Thank you , Stubbs , for coming into our lives for the retiring 31 month ; you are a singular CT and we will dearly neglect you . We have it away the clock time we were take into account to spend with you . ”
The Spones level to Mayor Stubbs ’ brother , Denali , as the mayorhood ’s natural heir — long endure the king .
After this face at Mayor Stubbs the cat , read up onSergeant Stubby , the canine hero of World War I , andWojtek the bear soldierof World War II .
