It’s no secret Pumpkin — the cat who lives at the Athens County Board of Elections’ office on Court Street — is a local celebrity.
Nearly everyone knows who he is, and they blindly worship him. Some say he’s a lot like Li'l Sebastian, the miniature horse in the show Parks and Recreation. Here are five reasons Pumpkin is the Li'l Sebastian of Athens:
Everyone simply loves him
Pumpkin had a guestbook that was so full that the women who work at the Board of Elections needed to replace it. The book had more than 1,100 entries at the beginning of October, according to a previous Post report.
Li'l Sebastian also has many fans. Even Ron Swanson (played by Nick Offerman) loved him.
“I have cried twice in my life. Once when I was 7 and I was hit by a school bus, and then again when I heard that Li’l Sebastian passed,” he said in season three. “His memory will live on as today we light a fire that will burn on for eternity.”
Every true legend has a song
Much like Li'l Sebastian, Pumpkin also has a song written about him. This one, however, is a rap that is a bit explicit.
Here’s Li'l Sebastian’s anthem in case you forgot about it:
Someone has probably said they could be president
Both iconic animals have full-blown political campaigns in the works.
They’re both super high maintenance
During the Harvest Festival episode, Jerry (Jim O'Heir) jokes that he and Li'l Sebastian are "Glucotrol buddies," referring to the fact that he and the horse take the same diabetes medication, according to the Parks and Recreation Wiki.
Pumpkin also has a picky diet. He has to eat special food because of his digestive problems.
“We feed him and clean his litter box before we go home,” Athens County Board of Elections Director Debbie Quivey said in an email. “Pumpkin is treated like the King that he is!!”
Pumpkin brings people together
Much like Li'l Sebastian does, Pumpkin is something that can bring Ohio University students and Athens residents together.
“Pumpkin, you are the King of Court Street!” one guest book entry reads.
Li'l Sebastian also unites all of Pawnee, Indiana.
“Ladies and gentlemen, the world-famous Li'l Sebastian,” Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler) said in season three.
Pumpkin is pretty similar.
“He has company every day. I mean every day,” Quivey said in a previous Post report. “We are amazed at the students who bring their parents in to meet him. And at graduation time, we cannot believe the (number of) students who come in and want a picture with him in their cap and gown because they're leaving.”
