Chief mouser’ Palmerston, a rescue cat recruited from Battersea Dogs and Cats Home explores his new surroundings in Permanent Under Secretary, Simon McDonald’s office in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London.Credit: PAPALMERSTON the beloved chief mouser at the Foreign Office has died at the age of 12, as No 10’s cat Larry leads the tributes.
The black and white moggy died in after he retired in 2020.
Palmerston was the chief mouser at the Foreign Office for four yearsCredit: PA
Larry the No 10 cat didn’t always get on with Palmerston but paid a touching tributeCredit: Getty
He was a rescue cat from Battersea and Cats Home and served in the corridors of Whitehall for four years.
Announcing his death, a post on Palmerston’s X, formerly , account read: “Palmerston, Diplocat extraordinaire, passed away peacefully on 12 February.
‘Palmy’ was a special member of the Government House team in Bermuda, and a much-loved family member.
“He was a wonderful companion, with a gentle nature, and will be sorely missed.”
A post on his page in February 2025 said he had come out of retirement to begin a new role as “feline relations consultant (semi-retired) to the new Governor of Bermuda”.
Tributes have poured in, with Larry, the chief mouser to the Cabinet Office, leading the way.
Taking to his X page, the feline simply wrote: “Farewell old friend x”.
The two moggies are thought to have had a long-running feud though during their time together in the corridors of power.
Labour MP Sarah Champion also too, to X to write: “RIP” following the nes.
When Palmerston retired in 2020, a letter to Sir Simon McDonald, permanent under-secretary at the Foreign and Office, said that the cat would like to spend more time “away from the limelight” having enjoyed “working from home” during the .
The letter, signed in Palmerston’s name, added: “I have found life away from the front line relaxed, quieter, and easier.
“My 105,000 Twitter followers show that even those with four legs and fur have an important part to play in the UK’s global effort.
“I have championed our work, built our relationships, and celebrated the diversity of our staff.”
At the time, Foreign Office staff paid tribute to the mouser with Jon Benjamin, director of the department’s Diplomatic Academy, wishing him a “very happy retirement”.
He said: “He left us a slightly chewed dead mouse next to my desk in @UKDipAcademy once, and we were of course not very grateful.”
Meanwhile, Larry has been celebrating 15 years in his role at No 10 this weekend.
The famous and popular cat has so far kept six prime ministers in line since he started in .
Palmerston spent his final days in semi-retirement in BermudaCredit: Alamy
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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