Political polarization in the U.S. feels like it is at an all-time high, and it’s hard to find a single politician that both sides of the aisle can agree is absolutely purr-fect. And that designation may become even harder to come by, as sad news just broke that Stubbs, the (honorary) cat mayor of Talkeetna, Alaska, has passed away.

Stubbs had been mayor of Talkeetna, population 876, since he was a kitten, and garnered quite the following on the internet. A few years ago, news that the beloved mayor was attacked by a dog made it into the local media, and Stubbs regularly was featured on high-brow political lists like “Five of the nation’s most accomplished animal mayors.”

Sad news from Talkeetna, Stubbs the Cat, unofficial mayor has passed away. https://t.co/jbg03v7p7a pic.twitter.com/Ww2e8ZNsi2

— KTUU.com (@Ch2KTUU) July 23, 2017

Stubbs’ human family released a statement about his passing, explaining that the publicity at the end of his life was overwhelming:

In 2017, Stubbs did a couple TV shows and more than a handful of interviews, but was not fond of the camera and all the people; it had gotten to be too much for him. He made it to the store a handful of times this summer and was completely bombarded by people passing him back and forth to take selfies.

However, there is some good news. Stubbs’ family believes one of their new kittens, Denali, may be able to make a mayoral run as well.

And of course, Stubbs isn’t the only political pet in the spotlight these days. In Washington D.C., an intense contest is underway to determine the cutest dogs on the hill. At the federal level, Vice President Mike Pence recently welcomed a new puppy named Harley into his family. And of course, there are other animals looking to take on Stubbs’ mantle as actual political leaders in their hometowns. For example, two towns in Kentucky recently “elected” pit bull mayors. And a dog has recently launched a mayoral bid in Durham, North Carolina. He uses Twitter to connect with his followers:

Howdy! My name is Obie! What’s your name? I am a dog! Are you a dog? I’m running for Mayor of Durham NC! Vote for me or just pet me.

— Obie For Mayor (@ObieForMayor) June 30, 2017

Anneliese Mahoney

Anneliese Mahoney is Managing Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.

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New York may become the first state to ban cat declawing. A bill is being debated in Albany that would make the practice illegal–but not everyone is on board. The move has pitted animal advocates and some veterinarians against each other over whether or not we should be able to declaw our four-legged friends.

The bill is sponsored by Assemblymember Linda Rosenthal, D-Manhattan, who sees it as an issue of treating cats humanely. Rosenthal claims that people only really declaw their cats as a matter of convenience; the state’s Veterinary Medical Society points out that sometimes declawing is the only way that a cat can remain in a family home if it has a habit of scratching and hurting members. According to a memo the society issued opposing the bill:

Clawing and scratching can be highly dangerous and detrimental to families with immunocompromised members or family members with other health issues; as such, declawing is one method to allow a beloved feline companion to continue to live in a household rather than relinquishing the family pet to a shelter. Declawing should remain a viable alternative to euthanasia if all other options have failed.

The society also claims that declawing is done in a way that does not hurt the animal, saying:

The surgical performance of an onychectomy by a licensed, trained veterinarian is done with proper anesthesia and multimodal pain control, making it indistinguishable from other surgical procedures performed on cats and other animals. In addition, when done properly, it should never damage the sensitive foot pads of a cat or result in nerve damage or intense and chronic pain.

However the Humane Society and other advocates in favor of the bill point out that “declawing” a cat isn’t as simple as cutting the claws, but instead requires a number of steps. According to Eileen Jefferson, a veterinarian and member of Humane Society Veterinary Medical Association:

This always includes the pain of having 10 to 18 separate amputations performed in one day and, in addition to that, it can include other effects such as limping, hemorrhage, chronic pain and infection.

The bill is in somewhat beginning stages, and no vote has been scheduled yet. While New York would be the first state to outlaw cat declawing, a few cities, including San Francisco and Los Angeles, have already taken the plunge.

Anneliese Mahoney

Anneliese Mahoney is Managing Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.

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