Mayor Stubbs, a yellow tabby who has held the highest-ranking office in Talkeetna, Alaska, for 16 years, is going to be out of commission for a while, it seems.
It was mauled by a dog and badly injured, CNN reported.
The cat is recovering from a punctured lung, a fractured sternum and a 5-inch wound in its side. Doctors removed a chest tube on Tuesday and reported that the animal’s breathing on its own — a first since the weekend attack.
“It’s a shame,” said one community pizza shop worker in the CNN report. “He’s the mayor, it’s not a joke. I know it’s ridiculous but the town is run really well.”
Stubbs rose from a modest background that began with its discovery in a box of kittens in front of a local general store. The store manager decided to keep the cat and settled on the name of Stubbs because it had no tail.
Residents unhappy with the slate of candidates in a mayoral election noticed the cat at the local general store seemed smart enough. They banded together and started a drive to make Stubbs the write-in candidate of choice — and the cat won. That was more than a decade ago, and residents say Stubbs has been a good mayor, loved by the town’s 800 people — but not so much by dogs.
The cat’s medical bills are estimated to top $2,000, doctors say.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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