Have you ever heard about Palmerston the Foreign Office cat? Brought to Whitehall from the Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, Palmerston was the Foreign Office’s chief mouser. After four years of service at Whitehall, the cat is retiring with full honors. In his ghost-written retirement letter, Palmerston insists that there is no catfight – he just found a life away from the front line and will spend time relaxing by his favorite tree.
When it arrived in the office in 2016, it sparked a vicious rivalry with Downing’s Streets favorite pet Larry. There was an incident in which Palmerston ripped Larry’s collar off, but no serious injuries were sustained. Right after retiring from the office, Palmerston posted the letter on Twitter and his favorite tree to climb.
In the letter, Palmerston promised that he will always be an ambassador for the UK. Sir Simon responded to the letter and wrote that everyone will miss the unique cat. He served four great years in the office with not a spot on his resume. Well, except for the dead half-chewed mouse he left at the UKDipAcademy once.
Thank you for your service, Palmerston, and Godspeed.