The British Museum Has Employed Cats To Work As Mousers Since At Least The Nineteenth Century, Earning Pay, Food, Lodging, And Even Healthcare For Their Services

For the next decade, the Society kept the cats healthy and at a manageable population size. The cats living in the museum at the time were Suzie, who liked to catch pigeons in mid-air; Pippin and Poppet, who could roll over on command; and Wilson, who was named after the museum’s director, Sir David Wilson.

By 1985, the number of cats had reached zero. Now, the only remaining evidence of the feline employees at the British Museum are newspaper clippings and an old sign warning visitors not to feed the cats outside certain areas. Even though cats no longer occupy the British Museum, the memories of them will live on.