Kick out the humans: cat running for Senate

"It's OK to make a change. It's OK to vote the humans out," a campaign video released by the feline politico says.

Most media coverage of the Senate race in Virginia focuses on Republican former governor George Allen and Democratic nominee Tim Kaine, another former governor and ally of President Barack Obama.

But Hank is not one to whinge about media bias. He writes on www.hankforsenate.com that his traditional American self-reliance is the way forward.

Born to a single mother and forced to live on the street, Hank says he "earned his success and his name through hard work."

Although there is little polling data on Hank's bid to become the first cat in the Senate, a vote based on popularity of his Facebook page would have him breathing down the Democrat's neck.

At last count, Kaine's site scored 24,271 "likes" to Hank's 23,664.