Palmerston | |
|---|---|
 Palmerston in 2017 | |
| Chief Mouser to the Foreign & Commonwealth Office | |
| Held title 13 April 2016 – 7 August 2020 | |
| Monarch | Elizabeth II |
| Prime Minister | David Cameron Theresa May Boris Johnson |
| Foreign Secretary | Philip Hammond Boris Johnson Jeremy Hunt Dominic Raab |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Vacant |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 2014 (2014) |
| Died | 12 February 2026(2026-02-12) (aged 11–12) |
| Residence | Foreign and Commonwealth Office (2016–2020)Government House, Bermuda (2025–2026) |
| Occupation | Mouser |
| Gender | Male |
| Nickname | Palmy |
Palmerston (2014 – 12 February 2026) was a black-and-whitetuxedo cat who was the residentChief Mouser of theForeign & Commonwealth Office in London, England. He held the role for four years, from 2016 until his retirement in 2020. He briefly came out of retirement in 2025, when he was taken toBermuda withAndrew Murdoch, his owner since retirement, who had taken on the position ofGovernor of Bermuda.
Palmerston was born in 2014. He was fromBattersea Dogs & Cats Home and was named after the former Foreign Secretary and Prime MinisterLord Palmerston. In 2016 he began working as Chief Mouser of the Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) atWhitehall in London, and was employed at the King Charles Street building.[1]
The position of Chief Mouser at the FCO followed from the positionChief Mouser to the Cabinet Office,Larry and from visits fromGeorge Osborne's catFreya who made regular visits to the office.[2]
Palmerston was in the news on 3 May 2016, as it was reported that he had caught his first mouse.[3] On 11 July 2016, Palmerston was caught on camera in a stand-off between himself and Larry in and around Downing Street.[4][5] On 26 July 2016, Palmerston was caught sneaking intoNumber 10, when the black door was left open. He was later evicted by resident police.[6] On 1 August 2016, a journalist caught Palmerston and Larry having a serious cat-fight, which led to Palmerston having damage to his ear and Larry losing hiscollar.[7]
Lawrence of Abdoun, a rescued black-and-white street tomcat, was given a role at the British Embassy inAmman, Jordan, and is named after British military officerT. E. Lawrence and theneighbourhood in Amman where the embassy is located.[8] Leyla Pixie, an orphaned kitten from Turkey, was adopted by the British Consulate General in Istanbul.[9]
On 7 August 2020, Palmerston retired as the FCO's Chief Mouser, moving to the countryside to "spend more time relaxing away from the limelight"; his "resignation" was announced onTwitter.[10][11]
On 3 February 2025, it was reported that Palmerston had come out of retirement to take up a role inBermuda as "feline relations consultant" to the newGovernor of Bermuda,Andrew Murdoch who had owned Palmerston since his retirement.[12][13]
Palmerston died on 12 February 2026.[14][13]
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link){{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)| Honorary titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| New title | Chief Mouser to the Foreign & Commonwealth Office 2016–2020 | Vacant |