Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office | |
---|---|
since 15 February 2011 | |
Government of the United Kingdom Prime Minister's Office Cabinet Office | |
Residence | 10 Downing Street |
Appointer | Prime Minister of the United Kingdom |
Term length | No set length; ends on retirement or death |
Inaugural holder | Cardinal Wolsey's cat |
Formation | c. 1515 Title first used around 1997[1] |
Website | Official website |
Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office[a] is the title of the official resident cat at 10 Downing Street, the residence and office of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom in London. There has been a resident cat in the British government employed as a mouser and pet since the 16th century, although modern records date only to the 1920s. Despite other cats having served Downing Street, the first one to be given the official title of chief mouser by the British government was Larry in 2011. Other cats have been given this title affectionately, usually by the British press. In 2004 a study found that voters' perceptions of the chief mouser were not completely above partisanship.
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