With all the legal red tape, there is no official legal sanction for making a feline a leader of a city—though this my someday change– so Stubbs is only an honorary mayor. Not that he is graceful with his rise to power. There are many pictures of the cat consuming illicit drugs (cat-nip) from a wine glass, and those within the cat’s inner circle report that this is a daily practice. The strain of the office may have wearied the beast.
There is no word on how the other candidates for mayor felt about being bested by a household pet, but the people seem pleased as punch regarding their four-footed leader, who has gained 2,500 Facebook fans. The mayor himself seems aloof regarding the media hoopla, and lets his ghostwriters update his fans on his interests and visions for the town. As for how he feels about his high status, the mayor chose to make no comment.
“Oh my gosh, we probably have 30 to 40 people a day come in who are tourists wanting to see him,” resident Lauri Stec has said, and also notes that “He’s good. He’s probably the best we’ve ever had. He was just in the Alaska Magazine, and he’s been featured in a few different things.”
Before the cat had come to fame, visitors were instructed to visit Nagley’s General Store and ask for the mayor. The mayor, after all, is known for residing there, but a visit often reveals that he’s been lying down on the job.
Nevertheless, residents aren’t concerned, for as Jerry Roach sums up for the town, “I’m very confident that Talkeetna will be A-OK, as long as we have Stubbs around.”