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.)
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:
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.
