The tragedy was announced late Saturday night by Stubb’s family. The famous yellow cat had gone to bed Thursday night as usual, along with his younger feline siblings Aurora and Denali. By the next morning, “he was already in heaven,” according to KTVA-TV.
— Alexis Fernandez (@alexisreporter) July 23, 2017
"He was a trooper until the very last day of his life; meowing at us throughout the day to pet him or to come sit on the bed with him and let him snuggle and purr for hours in our laps," wrote the saddened family. "Thank you, Stubbs, for coming into our lives for the past 31 months; you are a remarkable cat and we will dearly miss you. We loved the time we were allowed to spend with you."
The town had no human mayor, and Stubbs was elected in 1998 as a write-in candidate after many of the town’s 900 residents selected him as their leader, according to the Associated Press.
In his uncontested 20 year run, Stubbs was no stranger to being hit by fake news attacks. Just last year rumors swirled after a Facebook post suggested the feisty feline had died. Staying true to himself, he took it with some laughs.
— Mayor Stubbs, a cat. (@MayorStubbs) May 17, 2016
Back in 2013, Stubbs even survived an assassination attempt after a neighborhood dog left him with a punctured lung, fractured sternum and deep lacerations. Shockingly, not even this setback deterred the noble politician.
The opinionated furball even shared his thoughts on US President Donald Trump.
— Mayor Stubbs, a cat. (@MayorStubbs) January 13, 2017
"We couldn't have asked for a better understudy than Denali — he really has followed in Stubbs' pawprints in just about everything," the family wrote.
Luckily for us, it seems the power of social media even reaches into heaven.
— Mayor Stubbs, a cat. (@MayorStubbs) July 24, 2017