For centuries, Britain’s government has battled an unrelenting enemy that multiplies rapidly and invades the corridors of power of the state. No, not politicians, but armies of rodents. The solution? Cats — stealthy, ruthless, and unquestionably adorable.
Since Henry VIII’s reign, cats have patrolled Whitehall, keeping rodents at bay, and making sure meals and naps are never missed. Henry’s chancellor, Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, brought cats to judicial meetings and these early feline companions paved the way for today’s Chief Mousers.
Official records of Chief Mousers only date back to 1924, and it was not until 1929 that the Treasury supported the “Chief Mouser” position, approving a daily penny for an “efficient cat” to combat rodents in Downing Street. Whitehall is a complex of central UK government ministerial and non-ministerial departments, including the Cabinet Office, Ministry of Defence, and Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, and some of these also employ their own Chief Mousers and some are mentioned here.
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