Chief mouser Palmerston dies after swapping Foreign Office for Bermuda | Cats

Palmerston, the rescue cat who was the State Department’s chief mouse, has died in Bermuda.

The cat, adopted from Battersea Dogs & Cats Home, retired in 2020 after four years of service to Whitehall.

A post on a popular social media account on Palmerston’s behalf in February 2025 stated that Palmerston had come out of retirement to begin working “as a cat affairs advisor (semi-retired) to the new governor of Bermuda.”

Announcing his death, a post on Palmerston’s

When he retired in 2020, he wrote in a letter to Sir Simon McDonald, permanent under-secretary of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, that the cat wanted to spend more time “away from the limelight” after enjoying “working from home” during the coronavirus outbreak.

The letter, signed in Palmerston’s name, read: “I found life away from the front lines more comfortable, quieter and easier.” “My 105,000 Twitter followers show that even the four-legged and furry ones play an important role in the UK’s global efforts,” Palmerston’s letter said.

“I supported our work, built our relationships, and celebrated the diversity of our staff.”

Cats have been a famous feature of British political life for decades. Winston Churchill had a cat named Nelson and was chief executive of the Cabinet Office under Humphrey, Margaret Thatcher, John Major and briefly Tony Blair.

Downing Street’s current chief rat, Larry, celebrates 15 years in the job this weekend. This statue, also adapted from Battersea Home for Dogs and Cats, served six prime ministers and has been claimed as a symbol of continuity in a turbulent political period.

An unofficial X account paid tribute Although Larry’s “old friend” Palmerston 2019 video It showed what appeared to be an adversarial relationship.