×
GreekEnglish

×
  • Politics
  • Diaspora
  • World
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Culture
  • Sports
  • Cooking
Tuesday
13
Jan 2026
weather symbol
Athens 4°C
  • Home
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • World
  • Diaspora
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Culture
  • Sports
  • Mediterranean Cooking
  • Weather
Contact follow Protothema:
Powered by Cloudevo
> World

Paws for reflection: British Foreign Office cat heads for retirement

"I will miss hearing the footsteps of an Ambassador and sprinting to my hideout to see who it is"

Newsroom August 7 02:43

Palmerston, the cat who has lived at the Foreign Office for four and a half years, will trade in his London residence for retirement in the countryside, where his mouse-catching duties for the diplomats will come to an end.

Writing to the more than 100,000 followers on his Twitter feed, the black and white moggy, who once lived at Battersea Dogs & Cats Home, said he wanted to spend more time relaxing away from the limelight.

“I have enjoyed climbing trees and patrolling the fields around my new home in the countryside,” he wrote to the Foreign Office’s most senior civil servant, Simon McDonald, signing off with two paw prints.

“I will miss hearing the footsteps of an Ambassador and sprinting to my hideout to see who it is.”

There will be no wider reshuffle as Larry the cat remains on Downing Street whilst fellow feline Gladstone retains his post at the finance ministry.

See Also:

>Related articles

Maria Machado at the Vatican, a few days before she meets Trump

Erich von Däniken, Swiss bestselling author who linked ancient civilizations to extraterrestrials, dies at 90

Who are the Basij militias who are spreading terror among protesters in Iran?

Greek International Food Market satisfies demand for virtual experiences

United Kingdom returns twelve stolen religious icons to Greece

Source: Reuters

Ask me anything

Explore related questions

#animals#cat#Foreign Office#Palmerston#UK#world
> More World

Follow en.protothema.gr on Google News and be the first to know all the news

See all the latest News from Greece and the World, the moment they happen, at en.protothema.gr

> Latest Stories

Motorcycle rider arrested in Thessaloniki for driving 128 km/h in residential area

January 12, 2026

Mattel releases the first Barbie with autism, watch video

January 12, 2026

Farmers’ unions cancel meeting with Mitsotakis, plan escalation with new roadblocks

January 12, 2026

Shark attack on woman in Brazil: ‘I knew it had bitten me’, watch video

January 12, 2026

The 15 Greek islands that stand out for holidays in 2026, according to Conde Nast Traveller

January 12, 2026

Agatha Christie’s 1958 visit to the Acropolis captured in unpublished photo

January 12, 2026

Russia declares war on the Ecumenical Patriarch: “He is dismantling the Body of the Church, has nationalist and neo-nazi allies”

January 12, 2026

Video: The “battle” of the Skopelitis with the waves in the Aegean

January 12, 2026
All News

> Greece

Motorcycle rider arrested in Thessaloniki for driving 128 km/h in residential area

The Thessaloniki Traffic Police also arrested another motorcyclist for performing dangerous maneuvers

January 12, 2026

Farmers’ unions cancel meeting with Mitsotakis, plan escalation with new roadblocks

January 12, 2026

The 15 Greek islands that stand out for holidays in 2026, according to Conde Nast Traveller

January 12, 2026

Video: The “battle” of the Skopelitis with the waves in the Aegean

January 12, 2026

Coordination Committee of Thessaly’s “hardline” roadblocks meets; Trip to Athens for meeting with Mitsotakis in doubt

January 12, 2026
Homepage
PERSONAL DATA PROTECTION POLICY COOKIES POLICY TERM OF USE
Powered by Cloudevo
Copyright © 2026 Πρώτο Θέμα