Former UK Chief Mouser and retired cat Palmerston recently announced that he will be accompanying the new Governor of Bermuda to serve as a diplomatic advisor, making him the first “cat diplomat” in UK history.
Palmerston made the announcement of his return to the fray on social media platform X on February 4th.
In his post, Palmerston stated that he was attracted to the perfect diplomatic position and decided to come out of retirement to take on the role of cat diplomatic advisor to the new Governor of Bermuda in a semi-retired capacity. He is currently busy meeting with enthusiastic local residents.
The UK Foreign Office stated that Palmerston will only attend events he deems important, provide advice when needed, and enjoy well-deserved naps.
According to the Associated Press, Palmerston was originally a stray cat when he was selected by the UK Foreign Office at the age of 2 in 2016 to serve as Chief Mouser. His name was taken from the title of a 19th-century diplomat.
During his time at the Foreign Office, staff showed him great affection, often feeding him, and sometimes he would bring them dead mice as gifts.
After retiring in 2020, Palmerston was adopted by diplomat Andrew Murdoch. Now that Murdoch has been appointed as the new Governor of Bermuda, Palmerston has followed suit.
Bermuda is a British Overseas Territory consisting of 181 islands in the North Atlantic. The UK government is responsible for the territory’s foreign affairs and defense.
The Governor of Bermuda is nominated by the UK government. It is primarily a ceremonial role but also holds important constitutional and security responsibilities covering the island’s parliamentary system.
Previously reported by Dajiyuan, during Palmerston’s four-year tenure at the Foreign Office, there were rumors of conflict between him and Larry, the “Chief Mouser” at the neighboring Prime Minister’s residence. British media captured several instances of the two cats fighting, despite Palmerston’s superior mouse-catching skills, Larry always had greater popularity.
In the summer of 2019, Palmerston took a 6-month leave due to overfeeding and workplace stress causing excessive grooming behavior, eventually returning to work in December.