I just received a big letter from Green Party leader and Saanich – Gulf Islands MP Elizbaeth May! Here’s the photo she sent me of her cats when they were kittens:

Last month my friend Janean sent me a link to a story about a guy who wrote a letter to Stephen Harper to ask about his cats. In response he received a signed letter as well as a photo of Stephen Harper’s cat Stanley. A photo of the letter was posted by Reddit user MyLastNameIsHO.

Suffice to say I love cats a heck of a lot more than Stephen Harper and I thought it would be nice to see if other party leaders had cats too so I decided to write a letter to Janean’s MP and Green Party leader Elizabeth May.

25 March 2013

Dear Ms. May,

I am writing this letter as a friendly and light-hearted inquiry about any cats that you may have.

A few days ago my dear friend Janean Sharkey, who also happens to be a wildlife biologist and one of your constituents, posted a link on Facebook about Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s cat. Apparently someone wrote the prime minister to inquire about his cats and Harper replied with a letter and a large glossy photo of his pet.

While I love cats I am not a big fan of Harper or the Conservative Party of Canada. I will, however, admit that I was touched by his expression of affection for his feline companions but feel that there is room for other political cat stories on the Internet.

I don’t know if you currently have a cat but I am writing this letter with the assumption that you like them. After all, would an educated and committed animal person like Janean live in a riding represented by someone who doesn’t? I don’t think so! Hehe.

Would you please send me a photo of your current or former cats? I would also like to know what cats mean to you and why you believe, if you do, that cats are especially important to British Columbians and Canadians. Furthermore, what do you believe our leaders should do to support housecats and their owners? I intend to post your reply on my personal website at www.nathaniel.ca.

I have enclosed a photo of me and my cat Khan which was taken at the Sears portrait studio in 2011. Khan is an eight-year-old diabetic domestic shorthair and he’s pretty much the centre of my life. He loves sushi, cake, houseguests, and the sun lamp. He’s a very friendly and mellow pet who gets along with just about anybody and the vet even describes him as “very Zen.”

Kind regards,

Nathaniel Christopher

Today I received a reply! In addition to the photo she also sent me a lovely card that she purchased in support of the Western Canada Wilderness Committee as well as really sturdy vinyl photo holder with the House of Commons logo on the front.

This is what she wrote in the card:

Dear Nathaniel,

Thanks so much for your sweet letter. I do love cats. The enclosed photo is of my cats when they were kittens!

Thanks for your photo with Khan.

Elizabeth