MEET THE MAYORS!
Jojo
Mayor of Cat Town: 2025, 2023, 2021
Toncatsu
Co-Mayor of Cat Town: 2026
Shiru
Co-Mayor of Cat Town: 2026
After a distinguished term marked by naps, photo opportunities, and absolutely no official responsibilities, Mayor Jojo is preparing to leave office. Her successors, Shiru and Toncatsu, are ready to take over.
The Mayor of Cat Town may be a ceremonial position, but the support behind it is very real. Every year, the office of Mayor of Cat Town is bestowed to the highest bidder during our annual online auction. The funds help Cat Town give vulnerable shelter cats the care and safety they need while they wait for homes of their own. In return, the winning cat gets the prestige of holding one of Oakland’s least demanding public offices. There are no meetings to attend. No ribbon cuttings. No policy briefs. In fact, there are no duties whatsoever.
This year, that proud tradition continues with our new Co-Mayors, Shiru and Toncatsu.
Outgoing Mayor Jojo knows the office well. After serving multiple terms as Mayor of Cat Town, she has established a status quo for our incoming leaders: calm, confident, and a firm belief that important work is often best delegated to humans.
Mayor Jojo rests after a year of not working very hard at all as Mayor of Cat Town.
Jojo is most proud of championing Cat Town’s culture of respect — especially around boundaries and consent. She often says, “No means no! Just because a cat is curious or not shy does not mean humans can touch them without permission.” Her proudest legacy is supporting Cat Town’s mission of helping cats of all aptitudes and attitudes find homes through patience, respect, and understanding.
As Mayor, Jojo grew into a leader who balances boldness with empathy. She advises, “The best leaders make space for every kind of cat to thrive.”
Now, she is peacefully handing over power to Shiru and Toncatsu, two 3-year-old cats from Oakland’s Dimond District. Their path to office was refreshingly transparent. The two explain, “We foster failed into our family, and our Mom bought us into office.”
Shiru and Toncatsu’s family remembers Cat Town’s earliest days, and has deep roots in Oakland animal welfare, including volunteering and mentoring at Oakland Animal Services. “In today’s world, you can make a difference right where you are and with your heart,” they shared.
Shiru and Toncatsu are collaborating with their high-school-aged human sibling, a student at Oakland School for the Arts, to share their perspective on the city they call home during their term. The family plans to explore Oakland from a cat’s “paw of view,” mixing local observations, humor, and the occasional poke at the role money plays in politics on Instagram. “We really know all of Oakland is ours,” the Co-Mayors report.
Incoming Mayors Shiru and Toncatsu have big plans for their upcoming term, and have delegated implementation to their humans.
Shiru and Toncatsu have a full year ahead of them to determine what kind of leaders they intend to be. Benevolent rulers? Feared overlords? Figureheads mostly interested in snacks? At Cat Town, all forms of feline governance are welcome, and we’re excited to see what our new leaders deign to accomplish.
Follow Shiru and Toncatsu’s term on Instagram at @cattownoakmayors. And if your own cat already runs your household, keep an eye out for Cat Town’s next online auction. With the right bid, you too can turn private influence into public office!