| Wilberforce | |
|---|---|
| Species | Cat |
| Sex | Male |
| Born | Before 1973 |
| Died | 1988 London, England |
| Nation from | British |
| Occupation | Pet, Mouser |
| Title | Downing Street cat |
| Term | 1973 – 1987 |
| Predecessor | Petra |
| Successor | Humphrey |
| Owner | Cabinet Office |
| Named after | William Wilberforce |
Wilberforce was a cat who lived at 10 Downing Street between 1973 and 1987 and served under four British Prime Ministers: Edward Heath, Harold Wilson, Jim Callaghan and Margaret Thatcher.[1] His chief function was to catch mice, in which role he was the successor to Petra. In life he had been referred to as "the best mouser in Britain" as fit his role.[2]
According to Bernard Ingham,[3] the former press secretary to Margaret Thatcher, Wilberforce was a normal cat for whom Thatcher once bought "a tin of sardines in a Moscow supermarket". On the BBC coverage of the 1983 general election, presenter Esther Rantzen was allowed to hold Wilberforce and introduce him to viewers.
He retired on 3 April 1987, and was succeeded by Humphrey who was born in 1988, the year Wilberforce died.
| Preceded by Petra |
Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office 1973–1987 |
Succeeded by Humphrey |
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