Peter (chief mouser)

Peter was the second Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office of the United Kingdom government, serving between 1929 and 1946. Peter is often regarded as being the first to hold the position, as his predecessor, Treasury Bill, held the role for less than a year, and does not appear to have been officially given the title.[1]

Peter
Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office
In office 1929–1946 Serving with Treasury Bill (1929—1930's)
Monarch	George V Edward VIII George VI
Prime Minister	Ramsay MacDonald Stanley Baldwin Neville Chamberlain Winston Churchill Clement Attlee
Preceded by	Treasury Bill
Succeeded by	Peter II
Personal details
Residence	Home Office
Occupation	Mouser
Gender	Male

In 1929 the Treasury agreed to allow one penny daily for the upkeep of Peter. He is described as being a black cat, already resident at the Home Office at this stage. The spending bill was not agreed upon due to Peter being neglected, it was noticed that Civil servants had been bringing Peter food causing him to neglect his duties.[2]

This new diet proved effective, as the levels of rodents caught increased, and it was remarked that when the Home Office was relocated to Bournemouth during World War II that his services were missed so much that they applied for allowances for the upkeep of two cats.[3]