Last week when we talked about Kesha very respectfully imploring a trespassing raccoon to please remove himself from her home, a lovely commenter noted: “The summer belongs to Jimothy, no other raccoon can compare.” While we at CB recognize there is room in our hearts for multiple raccoon love (from a distance), the comment was prescient. On Sunday, the city of Seattle, Jimothy’s home turf, officially and legally declared it to be “Jimothy Summer.” If at this point you’re scratching your head with your paws, thinking, “Wait, what is a Jimothy?” Well, for one thing, give yourself a treat and Google the name to enjoy an animation of the surprisingly spritely critter flitting across your screen.
Jimothy is a raccoon, estimated to be a year old, who lives in the Seattle neighborhood of Ballard. Jimothy stands out among raccoons for the way his body is scrunched in, the result of a rare congenital deformity known as short spine syndrome. But this hasn’t stopped him! Jimothy is often spotted bounding around town with a spring in his step. He went viral earlier this month when local resident Kiana Hall posted a video of the animal she first believed to be a cat. In her Instagram post, she christened the fella Jimothy, because “He just looked like a Jimothy to me.” And a legend was born.
Seattle’s most famous raccoon now has an official hometown honor.
Crowds gathered in Ballard on Sunday to celebrate Jimothy, a raccoon with short-spine syndrome that has captured the hearts of people across the country.
Seattle City Councilmembers Alexis Mercedes Rinck and Dan Strauss hosted an official proclamation designating 2026 as “Jimothy Summer.”
“And whereas no trash left on the streets, porch, or alleyway will be safe from the midnight munching within Seattle so long as Jimothy continues the hard work to lay their paws on any food scraps or cat food left unattended,” Rinck read from the proclamation.
The celebration also included a Jimothy artwork competition featuring paintings and stuffed animals by local artists.
Leading up to the ceremony, councilwoman Rinck shared some inspiring, philosophical thoughts about Jimothy with the New York Times: “I think he’s an example to all of us that you don’t have to be perfect to be loved, and it’s what makes us different that makes us sensational.” Hear, hear! Is this not the profound secret to life that we’re all on personal journeys to realize and fulfill for ourselves? WE ARE ALL JIMOTHY!! Hinck further went on to say, “It is a dream of mine to encounter Jimothy in real life and then keep my measured distance from him so he can live his good little life.” Whether you see him in person or by video, Jimothy’s impact has reached far and wide. In fact, other animal activists with short spine syndrome have already expressed their thanks (through their humans) for Jimothy raising awareness on the condition. Living life on your own terms, doing good in the world from merely existing; may we all be as blessed as Jimothy the raccoon. And there’s no better way to celebrate Jimothy Summer than by following the lovable floof’s example!