Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office |
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| Government of the United Kingdom Prime Minister's Office Cabinet Office |
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| Residence | 10 Downing Street |
| Appointer | Prime Minister of the United Kingdom |
| Term length | No set length; ends on retirement or death |
| Inaugural holder | Cardinal Wolsey's cat |
| Formation | c. 1515 Title first used around 1997 |
The Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office is a special title given to the official cat living at 10 Downing Street. This famous address is where the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom lives and works in London.
For centuries, cats have helped keep mice away from government buildings. Records show cats have been working in the British government since the 1500s. The modern records, however, only go back to the 1920s.
While many cats have lived at Downing Street, Larry was the first to officially receive the title of Chief Mouser in 2011. Before Larry, the British press often used this fun title for other cats.
Contents
The Chief Mouser: Downing Street's Top Cat
A Long History of Feline Friends
Cats have been part of the English government for a very long time. One of the earliest records is from the 1500s. During the reign of King Henry VIII, Cardinal Thomas Wolsey had his cat by his side. This was while he was working as the Lord Chancellor, a very important judge.
Official records about these working cats became public in 2005. They show that in 1929, money was set aside to care for an "efficient cat." This cat was paid a small amount each day for its work. Over time, this allowance grew. Today, the Chief Mouser costs about £100 per year.
These special cats do not usually belong to the Prime Minister. Their time in office rarely matches the Prime Minister's term. The cat who served the longest was Peter III. He worked for over 16 years under five different Prime Ministers!
Meet Larry: The Current Chief Mouser
The current Chief Mouser is Larry. He has held this important job since 2011. Before Larry, the position was empty for a while. The previous cat, Sybil, left in 2009. Sybil was the first mouser in ten years after Humphrey retired in 1997.
Sybil belonged to Alistair Darling, who was the Chancellor of the Exchequer. He lived at 10 Downing Street at the time. The Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, lived next door at 11 Downing Street. Sybil eventually moved back to Scotland. She sadly passed away in 2009.
In January 2011, there was a problem with rats at Downing Street. They were seen running across the steps of Number 10. Since there was no Chief Mouser at the time, people wondered if a new cat would be brought in.
Soon after, a cat named Larry was chosen to help with the rat problem. Larry came from the Battersea Dogs & Cats Home. He was picked by David Cameron and his family, who were living at Downing Street then.
Sometimes, Chief Mousers have overlapped or taken over from each other. But the job can also be empty for long periods. Larry is the only Chief Mouser listed on the official Number 10 website.
Cats and Politics: A Surprising Connection
In 2004, a study looked at how people felt about the Downing Street cats. Researchers showed people a picture of Humphrey, a past Chief Mouser. They told some people he was Margaret Thatcher's cat. Others were told he was Tony Blair's cat.
The study found that people's political views affected how much they liked the cat. If they supported the Conservative Party, they liked the cat more when told it was Thatcher's. If they supported the Labour Party, they liked the cat more when told it was Blair's.
This shows that people's opinions can be influenced by their political loyalties. Even small, fun things like a cat can be seen differently depending on who you support.
Who Are the Chief Mousers?
Famous Feline Mousers
Here is a list of some of the cats who have served as Chief Mouser or held a similar role:
| Name | Began tenure | Ended tenure | Prime Minister(s) | Refs |
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| Rufus of England (popularly nicknamed "Treasury Bill") | 1924 | c. 1930 | Ramsay MacDonald | |
| Peter | 1929 | 1946 | Stanley Baldwin, Ramsay MacDonald, Neville Chamberlain, Winston Churchill, Clement Attlee | |
| Munich Mouser | 1937–40 | 1943 | Neville Chamberlain, Winston Churchill | |
| Nelson | 1940s | Winston Churchill | ||
| Peter II | 1946 | 1947 | Clement Attlee | |
| Peter III | 1947 | 1964 | Clement Attlee, Winston Churchill, Anthony Eden, Harold Macmillan, Alec Douglas-Home | |
| Peta | 1964 | c. 1976 | Alec Douglas-Home, Harold Wilson, Edward Heath | |
| Wilberforce | 1973 | 1987 | Edward Heath, Harold Wilson, Jim Callaghan, Margaret Thatcher | |
| Humphrey | 1989 | 1997 | Margaret Thatcher, John Major, Tony Blair | |
| Sybil | 2007 | 2009 | Gordon Brown | |
| Larry | 2011 | current | David Cameron, Theresa May, Boris Johnson, Liz Truss, Rishi Sunak, Keir Starmer | |
| Freya | 2012 | 2014 | David Cameron | |
Chief Mouser Timeline
See Also
In Spanish: Ratonero Jefe de la Oficina del Gabinete para niños
More Feline Friends
- Gladstone (cat), the Chief Mouser for the Treasury since 2016.
- Palmerston (cat), a former Chief Mouser for the Foreign & Commonwealth Office.
- Tibs the Great, the British Post Office's former "number one cat."
- Canadian Parliamentary Cats
- List of individual cats
- United States presidential pets
