Humphrey (cat) facts for kids

Humphrey (born around 1988, died March 2006) was a special cat who worked at 10 Downing Street. This is the famous home of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. He lived there from October 1989 until November 1997. His official job title was "Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office".

Humphrey was a stray cat, about one year old, when he first arrived. He was the main cat for three different Prime Ministers: Margaret Thatcher, John Major, and Tony Blair. He retired about six months after Tony Blair and his family moved in. Humphrey took over from the previous Downing Street cat, Wilberforce. Journalists sometimes joked that he was a real employee at Number 10.

Humphrey's Important Job at Downing Street

Humphrey was found as a stray cat by a government worker from the Cabinet Office. He was named after Sir Humphrey Appleby, a character from a British TV show. The Cabinet Office and Number 10 needed a new cat after the previous one, Wilberforce, had died. So, Humphrey started his important work.

He was often seen posing for pictures in front of the famous Number 10 front door. His main job was to catch mice and rats in the many buildings around Downing Street. These old buildings, some from the 16th century, and the nearby St. James's Park were perfect places for pests.

When Humphrey Went Missing

In June 1995, Humphrey disappeared! Downing Street did not tell the public at first. But a writer for The Times newspaper, Sheila Gunn, found out. She had told a staff member that her own cat had died, and they shared the news about Humphrey. Gunn's story was even on the front page of the newspaper.

Humphrey was later found in a nearby medical college. Someone had taken him in as a stray and renamed him PC, which stood for "patrol cat". When he came back to Downing Street, Humphrey seemed to give a funny news report. He said he had a "wonderful holiday" but was happy to be back.

Humphrey and the Blair Family

After Tony Blair became Prime Minister in May 1997, he moved into 10 Downing Street. Within a week, newspapers started saying that Humphrey and Cherie Blair, the Prime Minister's wife, were not getting along. Some reports said Mrs. Blair was allergic to cats or thought they were unclean. Sheila Gunn, the journalist, later said she made up these reports. She said her stories were based on a "hunch" with no real proof.

At the time, an official for the Blair family said Humphrey would not be moving out. They said Number 10 "is Humphrey's home and... it will remain his home." A photo of Humphrey and Mrs. Blair was given to the press. But this did not stop people from worrying that the cat would be forced to leave.

In November 1997, Humphrey's personal caregiver, Jonathan Rees, wrote a letter. He suggested that the cat should retire to a "stable home environment where he can be looked after properly." The official reason for his retirement was kidney problems. However, many people still believed that Mrs. Blair was the real reason he left.

Humphrey's Later Life and Passing

Humphrey moved to his new home with an older couple in the suburbs of London on November 13, 1997. The news of his retirement was kept secret until the next day. This was because officials were worried that the cat might be kidnapped.

Not much was heard about Humphrey for many years. Many people thought he had died. In early 2005, The Daily Telegraph newspaper asked for documents about him using a "Freedom of Information Act" request. This helped uncover more details about his time at Downing Street. In March 2005, the Telegraph sadly reported that no one knew where Humphrey was. But finally, on July 22, 2005, The Independent newspaper reported that "the 17-year-old mouser is alive and well and living in south London."

In March 2006, an official for Tony Blair announced that Humphrey had died the week before. He passed away peacefully at his official retirement home.