Not only is the state of Washington socially progressive for voting to legalize gay marriage and the recreational use of marijuana, here in the Evergreen State we also really love cats.

A press release from the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) landed in my inbox earlier this week with the subject line “Washington ranks 5th for cat ownership.” Not only was this information celebrated throughout The Inlander newsroom, I knew this important news had to be the subject of this week’s Cat Friday post.

You might recall a Cat Friday post from a ways back that introduced the Inlander staffer’s kitties. It was one of the most popular posts we’ve done, but since then we’ve had a few more kitties to add to the roster and whom we’ll have to introduce to readers in the near future. In a newsroom of nine writers/editors, five of us are proud rescue/shelter cat owners.

As a whole, 39 percent of Washington households have cats, based on data from the end of 2011. Back in pre-recession 2006, our lovely state was still ranked 5th in the nation for kitty ownership, but the percentage of households, at 44.5 percent, was also quite higher. 

Idaho ranked 8th in the U.S. for cat ownership, with 34.6 percent of households reported as kitty friendly.

Overall, Washington ranks 6th in pet ownership, but unfortunately did not make the top ten states for dog ownership.

Here are the states that made the top ten lists for cat, dog and pet ownership. 

Top 10 Cat-Owning States

Vermont, 49.5 percent

Maine, 46.4 percent

Oregon, 40.2 percent

South Dakota, 39.1 percent

Washington, 39 percent

West Virginia, 38.1 percent

Kentucky, 36.8 percent

Idaho, 34.6 percent

Indiana, 34.4 percent

New Hampshire, 34.2 percent

Keyboard Cat is Washington state's original famous, viral cat. 

Top 10 Dog-Owning States

Arkansas, 47.9 percent

New Mexico, 46 percent

Kentucky, 45.9 percent

Missouri, 45.9 percent

West Virginia, 45.8 percent

Mississippi, 45.2 percent

Alabama, 44.1 percent

Tennessee, 44.1 percent

Texas, 44 percent

Oklahoma, 43.2 percent

Top 10 Pet-Owning States

Vermont, 70.8 percent

New Mexico, 67.6 percent

South Dakota, 65.6 percent

Oregon, 63.6 percent

Maine, 62.9 percent

Washington, 62.7 percent

Arkansas, 62.4 percent

West Virginia, 62.1 percent

Idaho, 62 percent

Wyoming, 61.8 percent

In other year-end lists of pet-related info, check out this list of some of the 50 weirdest dog and cat names that popped up on pet insurance policies in 2012.

Petside.com also has put together a list of the most popular cat and dog names of last year, and both lists are surprisingly similar. I would take that as a hint that people need to get a little more creative with their pet naming.

What are your pets’ weird or uncommon names? Leave them in the comments!

Also, don’t forget that we’re still putting together a list of Spokane-Coeur d’Alene area business/store cats for an upcoming installment of Cat Friday! We wouldn’t want to miss anyone so please send us the names of any businesses you know of in the area that have resident felines. Email your suggestions to cheys@inlander.com.

How many hours a day/week do I spend looking at cat-related things on the Internet? I’m not really going to share that for two reasons: 1. It’s probably a lot and, 2. I really don’t know or keep track. 

There’s an obvious reason that cats rule the Internet. Besides being really cute and also very intelligent beings, cats are a great diversion to almost any activity you don’t want to focus your attention on at the moment. Lame work projects? Check. Homework? Check. Annoying person around you? Check. General boredom? Check.

So without further ado, here are some of the best online cat diversions we know of and may or may not frequent on a weekly basis…

Procatinator

This site doesn’t need a lot of explaining. Cat gifs + music = epic distraction tool. The creators of this gem really went all out picking the best cat gifs and pairing them with songs that eerily and ironically complement the actions/attitude/appearance of each cat. We’re impressed. Oh, and tell your office mates: You’re welcome. 

Meow Mania

To let you in on a little secret, this next site has been a favorite office prank around The Inlander for a while now. Here’s how to prank your friends/coworkers Inlander-style. Secretly chat or group email three or four people in a shared office space. Even if you have cubicles this prank works well. Send them the link to this site. Tell your co-pranksters to turn their volume up as loud as possible on their computer and then everyone start clicking the page randomly are various intervals. Your oblivious office mates will suddenly sense that the office is being invaded by angry kittens! Prank successful! 

Cat Bounce

For another mind distraction or just something to stare at on your computer screen during a total brain space out, check out this interactive site. You can click on each of the little guys and move them around on the screen, or even in a fit of rage actually fling one of the cats up out of screen view. Don’t worry, he will come back to join his jumpy friends. 

Written? Kitten!

If you are a writer like us, this site has got to be one of the best work motivators out there. It’s the complete opposite of encouraging procrastination. Instead of providing you with cute cats to take your mind off the most pressing matters in your life, this site uses cats to MOTIVATE you to get things done. College students, get this site bookmarked now and every paper will be done in hours less time than it normally takes. But if you do happen to get the dreaded writer’s block, just visit some of the sites above to inspire and refresh your mind. 

Know of a similar interactive cat site we didn’t mention? We would love to know so send us the links in the comments or to cheys@inlander.com.

In other requests from readers of CAT FRIDAY, we are looking for ideas for a future post and need your help. We want to feature local cats that are “employed” by local businesses as an office cat, mascot, pest control, or stress reliever. Send your suggestions to the above email or leave them in the comments and look out for an upcoming installment of CAT FRIDAY featuring Spokane’s own business/store/office kitties!

2012 was an exceptionally great year for cats. The masses were introduced to many great felines that cat-apulted their way to fame and recognition by millions, while others that have already been in the spotlight managed to keep reining in more adoring fans, or minions, as Colonel Meow would consider them.

To celebrate such a great year for cats, this installment of Cat Friday rounds up what we feel are the top cats and cat stories of the year. The cats are listed alphabetically because we honestly think they’re all equally special in their own ways. 

Colonel Meow

We were pretty honored when aspiring world leader — and fellow Washington state resident — Colonel Meow agreed to answer our questions as part of an interview for Cat Friday back in October. As he was featured in the blog, his fan base — excuse us, we mean Minion Army — was exponentially increasing by the minute. To date, the fierce-looking Colonel has garnered an online following of more than 125,000. You can read Cat Friday’s interview with the Col. over here. 

Dutchess

The story of this little cat, who’s been fighting an uphill battle since being rescued after she became trapped inside her family’s burning home in September, has captured the hearts of many. Dutchess' story of recovery and strength is inspiring, especially for an animal that can’t comprehend the meaning of life and the ways of the world. During the months she’s been in the care of the staff at the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine, the improvements in Dutchess’ condition have been phenomenal. It’s hoped that soon she’ll be able to return home to her family. 

Dot

Another kitty that overcame great odds for survival in 2012 is Dot. Dot was taken in by a New Jersey cat rescue and shelter, Tabby’s Place, in January after being found as a young kitten without the use of her hind legs. Dot was born with spina bifida, a birth defect that results in the vertebral arch not correctly fusing and thus leaving her hind legs useless. Dot spent the first year of her life having all sorts of fun adventures at Tabby’s, including getting her own mobility cart and a new best friend, D’Art, a little grey cat with a similar physical disability; his back legs are paralyzed and non-functioning, too. 

The grandma and her cat who are BFF’s

A collection of beautiful photos rose to the surface of the Internet’s abyss this year, depicting the incredible bond and interspecies friendship between an 88-year-old Japanese woman, Misa, and her odd-eyed white kitty, Fukumaru. Photographer Miyoko Ihara captured the stunning images of her grandmother and the cat over a period of 13 years, and documented the pair’s unbreakable bond in a photo book.

Hank

Not many cats can lay their claim to fame on the fact they placed third in a U.S. Senate seat race as a third party candidate. But Hank, a Maine Coon mix from Virginia, did just that when he ran against two human opponents during the 2012 election, on a platform of animal welfare and disgust for the U.S.’s political process. Hank also raised more than $60,000 for animal rescue organizations during his campaign. 

Henri, le Chat Noir

2012 certainly saw its fair share of viral cat videos. One of the most viral cat video series of the year profiles an existentialist and pessimistic tuxedo cat, Henri, le Chat Noir. Henri stars in several black-and-white videos during which he ponders the meaning of life and the absurdness of the imbeciles he’s surrounded by. Henri’s musings didn’t go unnoticed, however, as he was one of the four finalists in the AmazeCats’ Whisker Wars competition, which sought to determine the public’s favorite Internet cat ever. Henri also took home the viral cat video version of an Oscar, when his series won the People’s Choice Award at the first ever Internet Cat Film Festival in Minneapolis.

LIL BUB

Like her friend Grumpy Cat, LIL BUB is often confused for being male, and has her own set of physical differences that make her one of the most adorable and amazing creatures on the planet — the last phrase are BUB’s own words, folks. BUB, who always spells her name in all caps and considers herself clairvoyant, has racked up an impressive Facebook following of almost 86,000. BUB isn’t just about being cute and adorable, though — she’s using her status as a famous cat to help other animals in need, by promoting adoption and donating a portion of the proceeds from her merch sales to benefit animal rescue groups around her hometown of Bloomington, Indiana. 

Tardar Sauce, aka Grumpy Cat

There’s no doubt that one of the most viral cats of 2012 is Grumpy Cat, the little frown-y faced kitty that’s charmed all of us with her perpetual disapproving expression. According to our records, Tard’s photo first popped up on Reddit back in September… and from then on, it seems the entire world has welcomed this little odd kitty with open arms. Though there may be more than a few fake Facebook pages for little Grumpy, her official page has a count of more than 286,000 likes. For the record, we also think her half-brother, Pokey, is pretty darn cute too. Check out Grumpy’s website for “The Daily Grump” photos which often feature her with Pokey.

Sable, the Crossing Guard Cat

In another part of Washington state, a cat who made headlines late this year is doing his duty to make sure students at Enterprise Middle School, in Richland, Wash., get across the street safely. Earlier this month the story broke about Sable, a 15-year-old black cat, who’s been coming outside of his home across the street from the school to greet kids going to and coming from school at the nearby crosswalk. His owner, Tamara Morrison, says the male cat has been faithful to this routine for about a year now and knows to stay out of the street, instead Sable prefers to take advantage of the passing children who stop to give him a scratch as they wait to cross.

Venus

Not long before Grumpy Cat and her mad face took the Internet by storm, another odd-faced feline was making headlines of her own. Venus the cat is rumored to possibly be a chimera, which could mean that she has the genetic material from two embryos that fused together while in the womb. It hasn’t been definitively proved through genetic testing, but this kitty’s half-orange and half-black face is stunning regardless of her genetic quirks.

Christmas is less than two weeks away now, and hopefully you’re well on your way to crossing off all the names on your gift list. Got cats or cat-lovers to shop for? 

Naturally, it might be challenging to find the perfect gift for a cat person who's so immersed in the cat culture he/she knows the story behind every famous Internet cat, and is always up to the minute on the latest happenings in the cat world. 

Not only that, it’s equally as challenging to find a well-thought and unique gift for the cat who has everything, or the cat who has everything and is also picky as hell. You know, the cat who would rather sleep in a cardboard box than the $80 plush kitty bed you just presented her with.

Don’t fret – Cat Friday is here to save you all the stress that comes with picking out the purr-fect (tee hee) gift for your cat-crazy sister/mom/cousin/girlfriend/friend/whoever and the deserving cats in your life! 

If none of these options cause any great epiphany and send you rushing to grab your wallet, don’t forget to check out the recommendations in last week’s Inlander’s gift guide: Gifts for Cats and their People.

Not all cat lovers want to proclaim their love for the feline form in an obvious manner, which is why tastefully chosen kitty-themed jewelry makes a perfect gift. It’s not too over the top, but it’s still a nice touch to any outfit. 

This writer has personally been pining for this particular sterling silver kitty cat necklace ($36), from Oakland, Calif. designer Mark Poulin. The design is simple and contemporary, and would be a nice touch to any outfit — with or without any other cat-attire. Not a cat person? Poulin’s Etsy shop has cute little sterling silver charms, bracelets, earrings and rings with all kinds of adorable animals (dogs, sloths, turtles and lots more). 

I’m going to let you guys in on a little secret. This next item ($30) is from one of the very BEST Etsy shops I’ve come across for finding really trendy and original cat shirts. With the three little festively dressed kitties sauntering across the front, it’s the perfect kinda serious and kinda also ironic top for the “ugly” sweater party your friends are hosting next weekend (order now to make sure it gets here in time!) and you can wear it for many holiday seasons to come! While you’re at this shop, check out the many other fabulous kitty-adorned tops available. As a side note — in the spirit of making this gift guide as helpful as possible — American Apparel’s tanks and raglan sweatshirts tend to run one size smaller than normal. 

In conjunction with some exciting news to share, the next item features the world’s most beloved bow-legged, toothless dwarf cat, LIL BUB. Yes, BUB won the AmazeCats’ Whisker Wars competition and has been crowned the Internet’s most favorite cat ever! And in true BUB fashion, she’s not letting her fame go to her head, but is taking advantage of being so adored by helping out other animals in need. 

My infatuation with all things BUB seems to exponentially grow every day, and those who know me personally would be fully astounded should I not recommend a gift that — in the words of the well-spoken BUB — did not have her amazing face and body on it. So without further ado, there is no way you could go wrong with BUB’s adorable 2013 calendar as a gift for the cat lover on your list! Featuring all the best photos of the happy little cat, it’s a gift that keeps on giving for a whole year ($12). Order one now because this calendar has been so incredibly popular BUB and her dude have had to run several printings of it! 

Maybe your cat loving friends are also collectors of great cat-themed art. Maybe they’re not, but they have always wanted to be. If so, this next item is probably just what you’ve been looking for. With its psychedelic pink and green background, to the cute, open-mouthed kitty that — in the minds of people who know cats is saying something like “mrrrrooooowwwwww!” — it’s the perfect little art print ($10) to slap into a simple, black frame and proudly present to the cat lover in your life on Christmas Day. Make sure you check out this artist’s entire Etsy shop for other cute kitty designs, and her adorable, colorful interpretations of lots of other creatures big and small.

Now onto the gifts for the furry little friends who’ve inspired all of this!

If you’ve got a kitty that loves the green herb — catnip, that is — you know there is no end to the hours of fun he/she has rolling around on the floor in a nip-induced bliss state after playing with a nip filled toy. One problem that’s common during nip binges, though, is the fact that many kitties gets so worked up they start frantically shredding or biting apart the toy in which that elating herb is stuffed. Toys from The Cat Farm on Etsy ($7+) seem to be built to withstand that destruction instinct, and with toys made to look like cockroaches and grasshoppers, your kitty can pretend it’s also protecting you by killing a nasty bug.

Maybe your kitty spends more of its time napping than playing, and that’s okay. Treat him/her to the ultimate sleepy hideout that’s guaranteed to shelter them from ensuing winter storms with a pet bed playhouse/scratcher, made by PowWowMeow, out of heavy-duty braided rugs (you know like the kind your gramma used to make). Many of the beds ($95+) come with little dangly feather and pom-pom toys, making the fur-covered teepee the ultimate cat fort. It’s so cool you’ll wish there were human sized ones that both you and kitty could snuggle up in together. 

With the snow starting to blanket the Inland Northwest, it’s downright cold out there. Maybe your kitty needs a little more than just its fur to keep warm. Take note here, though — if your kitty does not like to play dress up, this might not be a great gift idea but could seem as more of a punishment to your cat. These little cat hats ($13) from BitchKnits are both silly and cute, and if your kitty likes wearing things on its head without doing the weird back-up head twisting walk, you’ll get a lot of enjoyment seeing him/her don a colorful faux Mohawk hat or a festive winter pom pom hat. Your Facebook/Instagram followers will also be delighted!

Happy Shopping, everyone!

The ultimate throw down to EVER happen in the history of the Internet is taking place right meow. And we are telling you about it because Spokane’s one and only Keyboard Cat needs your help to win the ultimate title to ever be bestowed on a cat in the history of cats: THE BEST CAT ON THE INTERNET. 

You can vote on Facebook until 10 pm Eastern Time today. That’s 7 pm our time, so get out there and vote. 

It’s about time someone out there tried to figure out the world's most favorite cat, right? And thanks to the AmazeCats’ Whisker Wars throw down, we’re about to find out. There’s even a bracket. It’s almost as full of cats as your March Madness bracket is full of teams. And, each one of them has gained some kind of notoriety on the World Wide Web. Can you say that about yourself? Probably not.

The Whisker Wars has almost narrowed down to the Final Four and things are really heating up. There’ve been upsets and blowouts, and some of these kitties have won rounds with just a whisker’s margin over their opponents (har har).

To get you up to speed, here are some noteworthy highlights so far.

Much to my own chagrin, the folks who created the bracket match ups managed to pit Grumpy Cat against Colonel Meow. You may recall my mention of this a few weeks back, and I still don’t understand how anyone could choose a favorite between these two cats. I still voted for Grumpy Cat because she was losing, and sadly she did lose. 

Alaska’s Mayor cat Stubbs was pitted against the Brit Downing Street cat, Larry — we introduced you to both of them a few weeks back — and while Americat Stubbs pulled ahead in that round, he lost horribly in the next to the menacing-looking Colonel Meow. 

The Interwebs also were all abuzz earlier this week when LIL BUB was being verbally beat down by Colonel Meow’s minion army. But sweet BUB still managed to make it to the Final Four. Sorry Colonel Meow. 

Luna the Fashion Kitty beat out Venus the Chimera cat in the first round, and also won her second matchup against a lesser-known cat — though she wasn’t well-known enough by the masses to beat up YouTube king Maru. 

The first two felines who will go head-to-head against some yet-to-be-determined opponents are LIL BUB and Maru. Maru will either face Henri, le Chat Noir (currently ahead) or Shironeko. LIL BUB will face off with Keyboard Cat or Simon’s Cat (currently ahead), an animated British cartoon cat. 

Personally, I think LIL BUB has a pretty good shot at winning. But should she face off against Maru, who has a huge global following, things could get feisty. Stay tuned to find out the winner next week if you’re not following this showdown as closely as we are here at CAT FRIDAY!

This week, Cat Friday is taking on a more serious tone, and will highlight a few very brave cats that have been faced with some difficult circumstances, but remarkably have overcome their obstacles or are well on their way to a better life state. 

We’re not trying to be downers, but feel free to refer to this post when you’re feeling sad and are faced with a true hardship, because these stories are uplifting and inspiring. If these little cats can live and thrive through adversity, so can we. 

We can’t promise that you won’t shed a tear or two, or feel a little pull at your heart as you read this post. Just remember that the intent of writing about these cats is to share their inspirational stories of courage, determination and trust in the world and the many people who’ve helped them.

Dutchess

Early photos of Dutchess after the fire were hard to look at. But this little cat is a trooper, and despite sustaining second and third degree burns from a devastating house fire, she’s looking like she’s going to make what seems to be a full recovery. 

Dutchess was trapped inside her family’s burning home when a responding firefighter found her hiding under the couch and saved her life, though initial thoughts were that the 8-month-old kitten wouldn’t make it. But this little fighter has proved everyone wrong as she’s undergone treatment from the caring staff at the University of Illinois’ College of Veterinary Medicine, with all of her care being funded by donations from around the U.S. and the world. Despite all that Dutchess has been through, she never stops purring. 

As mentioned, the early photos of her are heartbreaking (the one above is from today! Look how good she looks!). But in the months since the fire, her fur has grown back, and other than the scarring that is pulling back her eyelids and the bandages on her feet, she looks amazing considering what she experienced. The next step is surgery to correct the tightening of the skin around her eyes, and to perform some skin grafts on her legs. So far, the veterinary teaching hospital has received more than $10,000 in donations to care for Dutchess, but roughly another $5,000 is still needed to cover the rest of her treatments. If you want to follow Dutchess’s recovery, check out her Facebook page, which is updated regularly by the firefighter who saved her. Links to donate toward her care can also be found there. 

Moki aka “The Wobbly Cat"

This adorable, wide-eyed tabby is an official spokes-cat of sorts for “differently-abled” cats and other special needs animals of all kinds.

Moki’s physical disability set in after he contracted some sort of weird virus that left him with severe neurological damage to the point it was thought he’d never walk, sit up, or eat on his own again. 

But like Dutchess, Moki also is a real fighter and receives various forms of what’s called complimentary and alternative veterinary medicine treatments — acupuncture, massage, water therapy and other forms of natural or homeopathic treatments. 

Following Moki on Facebook is a real treat because his human mom posts adorable photos of him usually multiple times daily. He also doesn’t seem to mind dressing up in cute little cat hats or outfits and posing for the camera. Because of his huge fan-base’s requests for it, there’s a Moki calendar coming out for 2013 and all the proceeds will help pay for his ongoing medical treatments.

Snow

Like Dutchess, Snow endured a terrible situation. Though he’s now completely recovered from his physical wounds, Snow is still making strides overcoming some mental scarring left by his past experiences. Without going into the details of Snow’s state when he was recued, his extensive injuries were due to the evil, sadistic cruelness of one or more persons hurting him. 

Animal cruelty and neglect is a sensitive subject for many, so if readers want to learn more about what rescuers believe happened to Snow — a pure white, longhaired male cat — before he was found, there is a brief description on his Facebook page. The most important takeaway of Snow’s story is that he is a survivor, and his story is worth sharing to prevent situations like this from happening to other innocent animals. 

Paws For the Cause, a nonprofit feral cat rescue group in southeast Michigan, has cared for Snow since he was found. He now lives happily in the home of the recue group’s founder, who frequently pulls sick or injured animals from high-kill shelters and more recently rescued a group of cats that were discovered in an animal-hoarding situation. 

When we did our first Celebri-Cat Cat Friday post, it wasn’t too difficult to come up with at least five pretty viral cats who — we were pretty sure — most readers had at least heard of. 

The second time, though, for the Celebri-Cat Redux, it was a bit harder and at the time we thought there was no way we’d be able to do another follow up. But, lo and behold, the Internet never ceases to amuse, stun, bewilder and amaze us. 

We now present to you, dear readers, Celebri-Cats Volume III, in all its furry, full-color glory.

A few of these famous felines we actually just came across, and all of them are competing head-to-head in a “Whisker Wars” competition to determine people’s FAVORITE INTERNET CAT OF ALL TIME. I’ve voted a few times so far, and let me tell you — it’s tough to decide. 

Case in point: Grumpy Cat vs. Colonel Meow. How does one choose one over the other — those dear little mad-faced kitties?

Anyhow, we digress. 

The first cat in Volume III would have easily made it to the last two famous cat “who’s who” introductions, had we known about her then. 

Pudge the cat is a cute little mustachioed exotic shorthair cat who posts a new photo of herself on all of her social media outlets — Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest — every day. The photos are appropriately dubbed “The Daily Pudge.”

Pudge, who hails from Minneapolis, proclaims on her website that her favorite food is freshly cooked chicken and she loves wand toys because they combine two of her favorite things: sticks and string. 

And the good news — if Pudge happens to now be your most favorite Internet dwelling cat, you can buy all sorts of goodies with her cute little flat face on it at the Cats of Instagram store. Also, it looks like later this month there will be more merchandise coming to her site (just in time for the holidays!) including tees, calendars, iPhone cases and totes. 

Next up is a cat that has quite an important job. For the past 15 years, this orange tabby has been serving as the mayor of his birthplace — Talkeenta, Alaska. 

(Watch out, David Condon. Spokane’s cat population might get a few ideas if they catch wind of this feline’s successful run in public office.)

Mayor Stubbs — a manx (he has no tail) — was elected in July 1997 as a write-in candidate in the town of 900… humans, that is. And while he’s only serving as the town’s “honorary” mayor, that doesn’t stop as many as 40 tourists a day from making a pit stop to meet this important cat. Talkeenta, apparently, is just a historic district and not an official town. But whatever the details may be, this cat has a cooler title than lot of people could claim. 

Stubbs can usually be found napping in his official office, inside the town’s local general store, where he also enjoys drinking catnip-laced water from his own stemmed wine glass and getting belly rubs from his constituents.

Across the pond, a brown and white tabby named Larry until very recently played an important role similar to that of Mayor Stubbs. Larry’s office just so happened to be 10 Downing Street, London, aka the British Prime Minister’s headquarters. 

While it’s recently surfaced that Larry’s been sacked from his job as Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office — apparently due to his nonchalance over the rodent problem there — Larry was at the forefront of cat news for about two years and still remains a resident of 10 Downing Street.

Lucky Larry was rescued from a local animal shelter and began serving as the PM’s PM (Prime Mouser, ha ha) starting in early 2011. Before Larry landed his gig, the British media speculated that the Cabinet Office had a rat problem — there were two separate instances of rats running through Downing Street during live TV reports.

Larry reportedly killed his first mouse at Downing Street on April 22, 2011. Way to go, Larry. Sadly, though, the few known mouse slayings this cat was able to accomplish after that weren’t enough for the Brit Bosses, and he was replaced only last month by the Chancellor’s cat, Freya. The Chancellor is kind of like the British Veep. 

While Larry may have slacked off a bit at his former mousing duties, he’s even better at charming the public, press and other political leaders, including President Obama. Larry seemed to really like our Prez despite the fact that he’s been known to show an aversion to males, maybe due to some bad experiences during his past life on the streets.

Not only does Larry count the U.S. President as a close friend, he seems to have played a role in increased cat adoptions — by a notable 15 percent — during his first year in residence. 

More recently, on Oct. 16, it was reported that Larry had a nasty confrontation with his successor, Freya, shortly before she replaced him. Freya lives next door at 11 Downing Street, and the catfight made headlines after it had to be broken up by police. 

Before her rise to Top Cat, Feisty Freya had been the Chancellor’s family cat, though she was missing for three years until she turned up in a shelter in June and was thus reunited with the family. 

To make sure we don’t exhaust our resources of famous cats to introduce you to, we’ll leave you with these three fancy felines this week. Not a bad bunch, though:  A four-legged mayor, two almost royal cats and a cat that sort of resembles Uncle Pennybags from Monopoly.