Humbert the cat running for election in Montreal

He isn't affiliated with any major parties and he's challenging voters' assumptions about who (and/or what) an MP should be. The candidate's name is Humbert and he's a cat.

CBC News · Posted: Aug 19, 2015 5:07 PM EDT | Last Updated: August 19, 2015

Humbert, the four-year-old tabby, is running under slogans including: "An honest face," "The time is now," and "Let's keep the box clean." (Carol Berringer/Facebook)

As It Happens3:55Humbert the cat running for election in Montreal

The federal election campaign has barely begun, but the fur is about to fly in the Montreal riding of NDG-Westmount. A new candidate has entered the race.

His name is Humbert and he's a cat.

"I think it's about time that we had a leader who has all four paws on the ground," Humbert's owner and campaign manager John Jordan tells As it Happens guest host Matt Galloway.

If elected, Humbert's first order of business will be to legalize catnip. His owner assures the public that Humbert will be an effective leader.

"He's a man of the people," says Jordan. "He spends his time outside meeting and greeting the residents and trying to brighten everyone's day a little bit."

Humbert isn't the first cat to enter politics. In 2012, As it Happens guest host Helen Mann interviewed Laurie Stec. She's the owner of a cat named Stubbs who is the mayor of Talkeetna, Akaska. Here's that interview.