Everyone knows that cats have a plan for world domination — and here’s proof, with three cats who ran for political office!
Cats have proven time and time again that they have the power to rule. We buy their food, change their kitty litter and dutifully share every surface in our homes for them to claim as their throne.
Some cats have taken their quest for power to another level and put themselves forward as our potential political leaders. Here are the stories of three felines who followed their bureaucratic dreams.
Limberbutt McCubbins
Likely emboldened by his powerful name, Kentucky cat Limberbutt McCubbins officially entered the 2016 race for president of the United States.
He ran unopposed by other cats and aligned himself with the Democratic party. The presidential hopeful belonged to 18-year-old high schooler Emilee McCubbins who helped her pet establish ‘The Committee for the Installation of Limberbutt.’
Despite Emilee and her friends’ dedicated campaigning, Limberbutt McCubbins did not win.Â
Hank The Cat
In 2012, Hank the Cat was on the ballot for the United States Senate election in Virginia.
Running as an independent candidate who put his weight behind issues such as spay/neuter programs and animal rescue funding, Hank the Cat received a whopping 6,000 write-in votes.
Though he did not win the senate seat, he did go on to release a popular biography and became the subject of a documentary in 2016.
Stubbs
The only cat on our list to successfully hold office, Stubbs the orange tabby became mayor of Talkeetna, Alaska in 1997. Stubbs served as honorary mayor of the historic Alaskan town for almost twenty years.
Rather unconventionally, Stubbs was elected at a town assembly where Talkeetna’s residents had gathered to appoint a mayor for their district.
His duties included accepting head rubs and offering photo opportunities to tourists and he helped boost the small town’s economy by becoming a world-renowned attraction.
Political cats: a history
For as long as cats have been our domesticated companions, they have been a part of our history and even helped to influence it. The appearance of cats in the political world actually predates the days of viral fame and sharing of humorous kitty videos.
Abraham Lincoln’s beloved cats Tabby and Dixie famously roamed the hallowed halls of the White House with the celebrated 16th president of The United States.
Within the world of British politics, cats have been gainfully employed as mousers since the 1500s. The enigmatic tabby cat Larry is the current chief mouser at 10 Downing Street, the official residence of the British Prime Minister.
Cat leaders are the future
Though total world domination remains just out of their grasp, cats continue to extend their reign beyond our homes and could gain command of our planet one day, one political office at a time.