Palmerston the Cat Returns from ‘Retirement’ to British Foreign Office for Diplomatic Mission in Bermuda

The former chief mouser of the British Foreign Office, Palmerston the cat, will return to ‘work’ after several years of ‘retirement’. He will be sent to Bermuda as a ‘consultant’, according to the BBC and Palmerston's official X account.  

In Bermuda, Palmerston will hold the position of ‘consultant on feline relations’.  

The UK Agency for International Development explained that the ‘first feline diplomat’ will ‘attend only those meetings he considers important, give advice when needed, and allow himself a well-deserved nap’.  

The X-account, which is run on Palmerston's behalf, states that the cat was ‘lured out of retirement’ by an attractive diplomatic role and excellent working conditions with the new governor of Bermuda, Andrew Murdoch. It was he who took the cat in after his retirement in 2020.  

From 2016 to 2020, Palmerston served as the Foreign Office's chief mouse catcher. He is also known for having a fight with Larry the cat, the head mouser at the British Prime Minister's residence, in February 2018. Palmerston pulled out a clump of fur and tore off his collar.  

The media also reported that Foreign Office employees were forbidden to feed the cat, as it allegedly gained weight and became less effective in catching mice. Palmerston's exact age remains unknown.