Gladstone (cat) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Gladstone
|
|
|---|---|
.jpg)
Gladstone in 2017
|
|
| Chief Mouser to HM Treasury | |
| Assumed office 28 June 2016 |
|
| Monarch | Elizabeth II Charles III |
| Prime Minister | David Cameron Theresa May Boris Johnson Liz Truss Rishi Sunak Keir Starmer |
| Chancellor | George Osborne Philip Hammond Sajid Javid Rishi Sunak Nadhim Zahawi Kwasi Kwarteng Jeremy Hunt Rachel Reeves |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Personal details | |
| Born | c. December 2014 (age 10) London, England |
| Occupation | Mouser |
Gladstone (born around December 2014) is a special British cat. He works as the official "Chief Mouser" for HM Treasury in Whitehall, London. The Treasury is a very important government department that handles the UK's money.
Gladstone is a black domestic short-haired cat. He started his job as Chief Mouser in late June 2016 when he was about eighteen months old. He was named after William Ewart Gladstone, a famous former Chancellor and Prime Minister of the UK. Gladstone's main job is to catch mice at the Treasury's building at 1 Horse Guards Road.
The idea to have a Chief Mouser at the Treasury came after similar jobs were created at 10 Downing Street (where the Prime Minister lives) and the Foreign Office. Other famous government cats include Larry at Downing Street and Palmerston at the Foreign Office. The decision to get an official cat for the Treasury was made by John Kingman, who was a senior official there. Gladstone's job was officially announced on 29 July 2016.
Gladstone moved into his new home at the Treasury in late June 2016. However, the public announcement was delayed until late July. This was because of the big news happening at the time about the UK's decision to leave the European Union.
Contents
Gladstone's Early Life
Gladstone didn't start his life in a fancy office. In May 2016, a staff member from the Battersea Dogs & Cats Home found him. He was a neglected stray cat, meaning he had been wandering the streets of London all alone. He was hungry and didn't have a microchip, so his original owners couldn't be found.
At Battersea, he was known as Timmy. Like many homeless cats, he would eat too much, too quickly, whenever he found food. To help him, the staff gave him a special puzzle feeder. This made him eat slower and feel better.
Gladstone's Career as Chief Mouser
Within just 48 hours of moving into the Treasury, Gladstone proved he was good at his job. He made his first catch! People described him as a "cold-blooded killer" when it came to mice. In his first three months, he caught six mice.
Gladstone's food and care are paid for by the Treasury staff themselves. They volunteer to contribute small amounts of money for his daily needs. On weekends, the Treasury's security team looks after him and makes sure he is safe. This means Gladstone's job doesn't cost taxpayers any money.
Gladstone's Fame and Recognition
On 28 July 2017, Gladstone celebrated his first anniversary working at HM Treasury. He quickly became very popular. Just a few days after he joined Instagram in July 2016, he had 1,200 followers. By January 2023, his follower count was over 22,500!
Even though his Instagram hasn't had new posts since February 2020, people still love him. A special story called 'A cat's life – after a year in the spotlight, Gladstone sets the record straight' was written about his life at the Treasury. As of 28 July 2017, Gladstone had caught 22 mice. We don't have an updated number since then, but he continues to be a very important member of the Treasury team.
See also
- Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office
- Palmerston, former Chief Mouser to the Foreign & Commonwealth Office
- List of individual cats
