Former Foreign Officer chief mouser Palmerston has died.
The much-loved cat joined the Foreign and Commonwealth Office at King Charles Street in 2016. He retired in 2020, but it was announced in February 2025 that he had been brought out of retirement for a new overseas diplomatic post nearly as "feline relations consultant (semi-retired)” to Andrew Murdoch, the governor of Bermuda.
Announcing his death on Friday, a post on the cat’s X account read: “Palmerston, Diplocat extraordinaire, passed away peacefully on 12 February. “Palmy” was a special member of the Government House team in Bermuda, and a much loved family member. He was a wonderful companion, with a gentle nature, and will be sorely missed."
Leading tributes, Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, which originally rescued the tuxedo moggy, said: "We’re very sad to hear of the passing of ex-Battersea cat Palmerston.
"He arrived with us in March 2016 as a hungry, underweight stray found wandering the streets of London, with no microchip and no owner traced. Just a month later, he began his very important role as chief mouser at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, serving until his retirement in 2020.
"Last year we were delighted to hear he’d taken on a new post in Bermuda as a feline relations consultant: the Foreign Office’s first ‘feline diplomat’. One of our most notable former residents, Palmerston helped show the joy rescue cats bring to people’s lives. He will be greatly missed, and his legacy will live on."
Palmerston joined the FCO a decade ago from Battersea with a remit to control pests. Named after the UK’s longest-serving foreign secretary, Lord Palmerston, he served under one permanent secretary, Simon McDonald, and four foreign secretaries: Philip Hammond, Boris Johnson, Jeremy Hunt and Dominic Raab.
Palmerston with Simon McDonald. Photo: PA/Alamy
In July 2019, Palmerston took a leave of absence after he was found to be over grooming – a sign of distress in cats. Upon his return in December 2019, McDonald introduced the Palmerston Protocols, a set of strict reforms to ensure his welfare and happiness.
The rules banned anyone except the cat’s official volunteer carers from feeding Palmerston and he was given a newly-designated and smaller territory. The protocols also cautioned that staff should respect his personal space, with the cat to allowed to choose whether or not to interact with them. Staff were also warned not to disturb Palmerston while he was sleeping.
Announcing his retirement in summer 2020, Palmerston's resignation letter said: "I have enjoyed climbing trees and patrolling the fields around my new home in the countryside.
"Of course I love the hustle and bustle of the office. I will miss hearing the footsteps of an ambassador and sprinting to my hideout to see who it is. My signature move: pretending to be asleep while overhearing all the foreign dignitaries' conversations, will be a major loss for our intelligence gathering. But as I grow older, I must take a step back from my diplomatic duties and enjoy some me-time."