Catmando (1995–2002; also spelt "Cat Mandu"
[HOWLING LAUD HOPE Pt 7 – Catmando (Cat Mandu) – The real spelling](_blank)
YouTube, 30 November 2010; retrieved 1 December 2010) was a cat who was named "joint leader" of Britain's
Official Monster Raving Loony Party (OMRLP) from 1999 to 2002, along with his owner, party chairman
Howling Laud Hope.
He died in 2002, serving as leader until his death.
Political career
Following the 1999 death of the party's founder,
Screaming Lord Sutch, the OMRLP held a leadership election with Alan "Howling Laud" Hope (who was then the party's chairman and deputy leader) and Catmando as the only two candidates. The vote was a tie, with Hope and Catmando each receiving 125 votes. Hope, as the party chairman, had the deciding vote, and decided that he and Catmando should serve as joint leaders.
[Stall, Sam (2007); ''100 Cats Who Changed Civilization: History's Most Influential Felines'', pp.69,70. Quirk Books. ]
During Catmando's time as joint leader, the OMRLP saw its greatest electoral performance to date, fielding 15 candidates in the
2001 general election. Catmando served as joint leader until his death as a result of a traffic accident in July 2002. Hope then became the party's sole leader.
Following Catmando's death, the party proposed that there should be cat-crossings on all major roads.
Name origins
Catmando was originally called "Catman". His name was changed after a customer at the Golden Lion (Hope's
pub and
guesthouse in
Ashburton, Devon) asked a music question that Hope could not answer; the customer commented: "I bet Catman do
now the answer. Consequently, he became "Catmando".
The cat later moved with Hope to the Dog and Partridge public house in
Yateley, Hampshire.
Gurkhas, stationed nearby at
Aldershot
Aldershot ( ) is a town in the Rushmoor district, Hampshire, England. It lies on heathland in the extreme north-east corner of the county, south-west of London. The town has a population of 37,131, while the Farnborough/Aldershot built-up are ...
, were intrigued by a name that sounded like the
Nepal
Nepal, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mainly situated in the Himalayas, but also includes parts of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China Ch ...
ese capital
Kathmandu
Kathmandu () is the capital and largest city of Nepal, situated in the central part of the country within the Kathmandu Valley. As per the 2021 Nepal census, it has a population of 845,767 residing in 105,649 households, with approximately 4 mi ...
; subsequently the cat became the subject of a front-page feature in the ''
Nepali Times''. The "Cat Mandu" spelling became common through media misinterpretation, but Hope has confirmed that "Catmando" is the correct spelling.
[
One of the OMRLP proposed laws is that no other cat shall be called "Catmando", as there can only be one.
]
See also
* Non-human electoral candidates
*List of individual cats
This is a list of individual cats who have achieved some degree of popularity or notability.
Before the modern era
* Nedjem or Nojem (Egyptian language, Egyptian: ''nḏm'' "Sweet One" or "Sweetie"), 15th century BC. The cat of Puimre, second p ...
References
External links
The 2001 Election in Pictures: Laud Hope and Cat Mandu
''The Guardian'', 21 May 2001
''The Independent'', 25 September 1999
Cat pushes for prime minister
''guardian.co.uk'', 21 May 2001
Loonies choose cat as joint leader
BBC News, 24 September 1999
{{Monster Raving Loony Party politicians
1995 animal births
2002 animal deaths
Individual cats in England
Individual cats in politics
Leaders of political parties in the United Kingdom
Official Monster Raving Loony Party politicians
Road incident deaths in England