Emily Chan
At Exeter Cathedral in Devon County, England, there is a wooden door with a feline-sized hole in it that was carved during the 16th century.
The hole was designed to allow a cat to access a large clock within the northern section of the cathedral so it could serve as pest control. It is considered the oldest cat door in the world.
The Exeter Cathedral is a church that was built over the course of hundreds of years. Its construction started sometime in the 12th century.
According to historical documents, the cat door dates back to 1598. That year, a bishop named William Cotton hired carpenters to carve a hole in the door so the cat that lived in the cathedral could reach the clockwork mechanisms.
To keep the clock running smoothly, its gears were often coated with animal fat, which attracted mice and other rodents.
Therefore, cats were needed to keep the rodent populations down. Records from the cathedral showed that the felines were paid for their services, receiving a food stipend of 13 pence per quarter.
In England, the clock has special cultural significance, and some even believe that it inspired the nursery rhyme “Hickory Dickory Dock.” The cat door highlights how valuable cats were for their role in maintaining the cleanliness and efficiency of institutions in medieval Europe.
Back then, cats were necessary for controlling the populations of mice and rats. These rodents often got into food supplies and carried diseases that posed a threat to public health. Cats were usually kept in homes, barns, and churches.
Other ancient English buildings have catholes as well. For instance, Chetham’s Library in Manchester was established in 1653 and contains a centuries-old cat door. It is the oldest public library in the country. Since its establishment, it has been operating continuously.
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