Talk:Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office/Archive 1

Archive 1

Archive 2

10 Downing or 11 Downing for current PM?

This page states that the current Prime Minister Gordon Brown lives at 11 Downing Street, and that Chancellor of the Exchequer Alistair Darling lives at 10 Downing Street with Sybil the cat. However, the various other pages I've linked here seem to indicate the opposite (Brown continuing to live at 10, as he did while Tony Blair lived at 11). —Preceding unsigned comment added by John Darrow (talk • contribs) 22:12, 19 May 2008 (UTC)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/6989055.stm says "Sybil - as in Basil and Sybil Fawlty - the black and white moggie is much loved in the home of the current Chancellor of the Exchequer, Alistair Darling. And that home is now the flat above the heart of Britain's government - 10 Downing Street - where the Darlings, including Sybil, have moved to from north of the border." http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSGOR14568220070912?feedType=RSS&feedName=oddlyEnoughNews&rpc=22&sp=true says "Sybil, named after Basil's wife in the classic 1970s sitcom "Fawlty Towers," has moved down from Edinburgh with Chancellor of the Exchequer Alistair Darling and his family who are living in the three-bedroomed flat above No. 10. Prime Minister Gordon Brown, his wife Sarah and their two sons live in the bigger flat at Number 11 Downing Street, traditionally the home of the Chancellor." (These are references 8 and 9). What links said otherwise? -- Matthewedwards (talk · contribs · count · email) 22:55, 19 May 2008 (UTC)

Page 10 Downing Street says Brown is at 10. Pages 11 Downing Street and Alistair Darling say Darling is at 11. Now, it seems from your references provided above that it is those pages which are incorrect, and this page is correct. However, I have no knowledge of the subject; I was simply pointing out that the pages were inconsistent. John Darrow (talk) 22:38, 20 May 2008 (UTC)

Sybil

This implies that the Darling's cat doesn't really count... Source 22 isn't clear on it, source 23 doesn't work. --Dweller (talk) 21:57, 14 February 2011 (UTC)

And on the topic of Sybil, her timeline paragraph is confusing... she seems to have held office for two years, or ten, or twelve, or maybe some other job called “first mouser.” Needs a fact check and a revision. Graham^talk/mail/e 18:47, 29 December 2020 (UTC)

Larry's status

According to David Cameron on David Letterman's show, Larry is still in the role and Freya has merely been brought in as an assistant. Not that I expect a serious report on this topic. 217.42.21.231 (talk) 20:23, 27 September 2012 (UTC)

I like. Larry is the boss, Freya is the secretary... I'll see what I can dig out on that! Thanks. The Rambling Man (talk) 20:33, 27 September 2012 (UTC)

That was how Letterman interpreted it. His exact words were "He has a staff" http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=stidwXIlvNE#t=2061s 217.42.21.231 (talk) 22:56, 27 September 2012 (UTC)

I saw that, too. Unfortunately a quick news search didn't bring up any articles that confirm, but I'm pretty sure we can use it (the interview) as a primary source. Matthewedwards (talk · contribs) 22:31, 27 September 2012 (UTC)

Reverted it back to Larry, no official source has confirmed this. http://www.number10.gov.uk/history-and-tour/larry-the-cat-chief-mouser-to-the-cabinet-office/ Conay (talk) 11:43, 1 October 2012 (UTC)

Peter 1

According to the Telegraph article from 2005, the cat paid for from the public purse from 1941 to 1946 was Peter (or Peter 1). Kevin McE (talk) 10:25, 31 December 2012 (UTC)

Thanks. The Rambling Man (talk) 13:08, 31 December 2012 (UTC)

but is it just my impression or is the table confusing? There are two "Peter".--Alexmar983 (talk) 21:47, 22 September 2015 (UTC)

Titles

I am not quite sure if the cats are called the Right Honourable, as the last time I checked, cats do not care if they are given an official title, they do care if they have food to eat though. They also the last time I checked, do not write or speak, making it rather difficult to really report to the British Parliament. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.149.156.139 (talk) 21:30, 20 January 2015 (UTC)

Agree. Have removed. Argovian (talk) 16:46, 26 April 2015 (UTC)

Other official cats

What was then the Public Record Office had a series of official cats as well. There are various references in the Cantwell and Lawes books mentioned on the PRO page (and I have come across at least one other mention). Jackiespeel (talk) 17:25, 12 May 2015 (UTC)

Official titles

The claim that 4 cats have been given the title is contradicted directly in one of the sources used: the 10 Downing Street source used claimed that Larry was "the first cat at Number 10 to be bestowed the title officially". This means that no cat before Larry was given the title officially. DHN (talk) 18:54, 18 June 2017 (UTC)

Inaugural cat

The infobox states the Cardinal Wolsey's cat was the inaugural holder of the office. This is untrue: although the creature accompanied Wolsey to state functions it had no official duties and held no formal office. It presumably lived at York Place, though, which would be right.--86.153.200.166 (talk) 08:35, 14 April 2019 (UTC)

Cabinet Office Cats are Evie and Ossie

The Chief Mousers at the Cabinet Office are Evie and Ossie. Larry does not work at the Cabinet Office. Larry works at the Prime Minister’s office, 10 Downing Street. The whole of this article needs re-titling and rewording to make it clear that the Cabinet Office is not the same as 10 Downing Street. Sharkli (talk - contribs) 09:41, 29 April 2020 (UTC)

[1] Sharkli (talk - contribs) 09:42, 29 April 2020 (UTC)

And yet this govenment website refers to Larry as CMotCO. IdreamofJeanie (talk) 10:24, 29 April 2020 (UTC)