Cats have always made their presence known. From ancient Egypt to the pages of Instagram. Cats are the center of it all! Heck, even on Facebook cats reign supreme! So in honor of cats from the past, I thought I’d share a few who will always remain in our hearts.
Stubbs, Mayor of Talkeetna, Alaska
Stubbs was the Honorary Mayor of Talkeetna, Alaska, population 900. According to the locals, they were not too thrilled with the candidates running for mayor in the 1997 election, so they wrote in Stubbs’ name instead!
Stubbs took his duties seriously. He spent his days chasing mice and birds and greeting tourists at the general store. The town people praised his record in office, as he was a good leader that never raised taxes or interfered in business.
He received lots of cards and letters from his fans and had over 10,000 followers on Facebook. The fame went to his head; however, as he had to have his daily water served in a wine glass along with a side of catnip!
In July 2017 Stubbs past away after 20 years of service. Thank you, Stubbs!
Room 8
In 1952 a stray, hungry cat showed up at the Elysian Heights Elementary School in Los Angeles, California. The cat made himself at home, had some lunch, and then left. The next morning he came back. He returned every morning, in fact. Roaming the halls and making himself comfortable. He was named Room 8 after where he made his debut.
Room 8 took summers off, but came back to class every school year for the next 15 years. He never missed a day! He was loved by faculty and students alike. Kids clambered to be the official cat feeder. A higher honor than that of class president. Room 8 appeared in almost every class photo from 1953-1967.
He eventually became an international sensation and was featured in several newspapers and on TV. He appeared in Time, Weekly Reader, and Art Linkletter’s TV show House Party, just to name a few. He even had a book written about him by former teacher, Virginia Finley. Room 8 received over 10,000 fan letters, which were happily answered by students.
Room 8 passed away at 22. He’s still immortalized around campus with paintings and photos.
Humphrey, Chief Mouser to the Cabinet
Humphrey was the official resident cat of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom at 10 Downing Street. His tenure lasted from 1989-1997 and he served under Margaret Thatcher, John Major, and Tony Blair. Impressive! Cats had been employed as resident mousers since the reign of Henry VIII in the 1500s.
He arrived as a stray and was named after Sir Humphrey Appleby, the fictional character from the British TV series Yes Minister (a British political satire sitcom).
Humphrey’s primary duty was to catch mice and rats around the old buildings along Downing Street. Although he did a good job, his time on Downing Street wasn’t without controversy. In 1994 he was accused of killing four robin chicks. Fortunately, Prime Minster John Major exonerated him stating that he had been falsely accused.
Humphrey retired in 1997 after a long reign and eventually passed away in 2006 at the home of a cabinet officer worker who had been tending to him in his golden years.
