Newsworthy cats of 2016

As 2016 draws to a close, let’s look at some of the cats that made news during the year.

Larry the cat remains in office

The British government announced in July that Larry the cat, the chief mouser at 10 Downing Street in London, wouldn’t have to leave when Prime Minister David Cameron left office.
“It’s a civil servant’s cat and does not belong to the Camerons,” a spokesperson for the British government told the Guardian. (Check out more photos of Larry at Politico.)

Tombili immortalized with bronze statue

In Istanbul, Turkey, a beloved neighborhood cat named Tombili who died in August was immortalized with a bronze statue in his likeness.
Tombili would regularly lounge on a concrete sidewalk step and lean in anthropomorphically on one elbow to watch all the people walk by. The artist recreated this pose in the statue, which was unveiled in October. (See articles by Laughing Squid and the Independent.)

World’s oldest cat missing, presumed dead

The world’s oldest living cat is believed to have died at the age of 27 after having gone missing from his home in October, the Daily Mail reported.
Seven weeks after Corduroy ran away from his home in Oregon, his owners posted an emotional tribute to their pet online.

Library cat outlasts councilman that wanted him gone

A city councilman in White Settlement, Texas, who tried to have the city’s beloved library cat Browser evicted was voted out of office, CBS News reported.
Browser got his job at the library when he was just a kitten. He was recruited from a local animal shelter as an inexpensive, effective method of pest control at the library.

Cat runs for president

When Donald Trump set up a campaign office in a strip mall in Warwick, R.I., the owner of the pet store nearby decided to offer an alternative for president: Stump the cat.
(See articles by The Cut and the New York Times.)

‘Saddest cat on the internet’ becomes a star

A feline dubbed “the saddest cat on the internet” was 24 hours away from being euthanized when a couple moved by his photos adopted him.
BenBen was brought to the animal shelter as a stray and looks permanently sad because of excess skin on his face. He appears to have been attacked by a large animal.
Since his last-minute rescue, BenBen has become a social media star, attracting thousands of fans on Instagram and Twitter.
(See article on the Telegraph.)