Happy National Tuxedo Cat Day to all the Cary Grants of the feliverse. They, and their butlers, consider themselves ultra smart, although there is no unbiased evidence either way for this. (Neither Belvedere nor I own a dinner jacket, so you can be sure we have no skin in this game.) Nevertheless, what is indubitable is that tuxies are always dressed to impress, in black jacket, white bib and tucker and white spats. And if you can dress the part, you can get the part.

Tuxies ooze confidence, chutzpah and class they haven’t even used yet. So of course, many have taken up a political career. Socks Clinton (pictured), a very natty tux, rose from street stray to the first First Cat of the White House, the feline embodiment of the American Dream. 

In 2012, Tuxedo Stan stood for mayor in Halifax, Nova Scotia. In 2022, Signora Miao was indeed mayor (of animals) in Civita d’Antino in the Abruzzo region of southern Italy until accusations of election rigging brought her down. Gravellona Lomellina in the Lombardy Region in northern Italy has had a feline co-mayor since 2005. The current incumbent is Marina, a tabby tux, who took over in 2014.

In the UK, most of the cats appointed as Minister for Rodent Control have been self-possessed tuxies.They’re the only ones who can stare down Old Etonian entitlement. (Belvedere points out that this is a whole other story, so we will come back to it.)

Tuxies are so beloved they have three separate appreciation days (today, January 29th and September 9th), so let’s not peak too early. Belvedere and I will be ready to appreciate them all over again when the time comes. 

Meanwhile, for more about smart and enterprising cats, go to https://bit.ly/clevercats