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Thirsty Cat Doesn't Give A Heck About Interrupting Mayor's Big Interview

“Anything can happen when cats boss around in the office.”
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By 

Senior Reporter, HuffPost

Nils Ušakovs may be the mayor of Riga, Latvia, but it’s obvious cats rule the roost at his office.

Last Sunday, Ušakovs was being interviewed on live TV about the city’s efforts to fix potholes when his cat, Dumka, walked up to a mug on the mayor’s desk, according to the Associated Press.

Dumka then started drinking from the cup, not giving a damn that Mayor Ušakovs was dealing with important city matters.

Ušakovs stopped talking and just looked at the thirsty feline for a few awkward seconds, probably realizing that watching a rude cat drink from a cup was far more interesting than any discussion of potholes could ever be. (We’re not actually sure what was in the mug here, but keep in mind that in general, cats should not be allowed to drink coffee.)

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The 40-year-old politician then realized the eyes of Riga ― well, maybe one or two ― were sharing this awkward kitty coup d’etat with him.

That inspired this reaction shot:

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Ušakovs then tried to pet the upstaging pussycat. Dumka jumped away, because that’s what cats do.

Ušakovs then told his TV viewers, who probably forgot all about potholes by this moment: “Anything can happen when cats boss around in the office.”

The mayor is clearly a cat person. A town hall building in the city is home to two “official cats of Riga,” Muris and Kuzyu. ABC News notes both were adopted from an animal shelter. 

He once posted a 360-degree photo of his office on his Facebook page and challenged his followers to find his cats.

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Before You Go

Undercats
(01 of15)
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The 23-year-old photographer was recently inspired to go deep into the underbelly of the cat world by photographing them from underneath. (credit:Andrius Burba)
(02 of15)
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Burba came up with the catty concept while getting ready to attend an International Cat Show in his home town of Vilnius, Lithuania. (credit:Andrius Burba)
(03 of15)
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"I was planning to go to the Cat Show a week before," Burba told The Huffington Post by email. "Two days before I went, I realized this is the best time to make a photoshoot. I found the contact, and called them. So it was very fast." (credit:Andrius Burba)
(04 of15)
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Although Burba is a lifelong cat lover, the shoot wasn’t without risks for him. (credit:Andrius Burba)
(05 of15)
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“I grew up with a cat -- a Persia mixed with exotic. I lived with her between the ages of 7 and 20,” Burba said. “But at some point, when I was 19 or 20, I became allergic to cats and dogs. Probably it's because of the hair. So when I was at the Cat Show, I had to take an anti-allergy tablet.” (credit:Andrius Burba)
(06 of15)
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Most of the cats Burba photographed were also from Lithuania, with a smattering from other Baltic countries, like Latvia and Poland. (credit:Andrius Burba)
(07 of15)
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Getting owners to agree to put their cats on a glass surface so Burba could photograph their undersides was easy. Getting the cats to cooperate was more of a challenge. (credit:Andrius Burba)
(08 of15)
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“The most difficult part was making scared cats stand up,” Burba said. “But some of them would not do that anyway. Maybe this is why these photos look more unique by being natural.” (credit:Andrius Burba)
(09 of15)
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Each cat spent about one or two minutes on the glass -- long enough for Burba to get his shot. (credit:Andrius Burba)
(10 of15)
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One cat was so uncomfortable that she was lying all the time. When Burba lifted her up and put her on her feet, the cat would immediately lie down again. (credit:Andrius Burba)
(11 of15)
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Burba attempted to entice some cats with toys, others by calling their names. (credit:Andrius Burba)
(12 of15)
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"Most of them we shot without any enticements" Burba said. "I just photographed them randomly walking around or standing." (credit:Andrius Burba)
(13 of15)
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Luckily, none of the cats urinated on the glass in an attempt to mark their territory. (credit:Andrius Burba)
(14 of15)
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Burba doesn't mind playing favorites with felines. He said this British shorthair was the most photogenic cat he shot that day. "There were actually two of them," he said. "Both of them looked fun and fluffy." (credit:Andrius Burba)
(15 of15)
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(credit:Andrius Burba)
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