Sybil (cat)
| Sybil Darling | |
|---|---|
 Sybil, in her employment as the Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office | |
| Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office | |
|
In office September 2007 – January 2009 | |
| Monarch | Elizabeth II |
| Prime Minister | Gordon Brown |
| Preceded by | Humphrey |
| Succeeded by | Larry |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
2006 London, United Kingdom |
| Died | Edinburgh, United Kingdom |
| Nationality | British |
| Occupation | Mouser |
Sybil Darling (2006 – 27 July 2009) was a cat living at 11 and 10 Downing Street. Named after Sybil Fawlty from the TV show Fawlty Towers, she was the pet of then Chancellor of the Exchequer, Alistair Darling.[1]
Confirmation of Sybil's tenure as Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office was given on 11 September 2007 by Gordon Brown's official spokesman, who stated, "I understand the Darlings do have a cat, and the cat has recently been brought to Downing Street... The Prime Minister and Sarah do not have a problem with it. I am sure the cat will appear at some point".[1][2]
Sybil, who was black and white, was the first cat at Downing Street since Humphrey was reportedly removed in November 1997, due to Cherie Blair's aversion to cats.[3][4] However, Sybil failed to settle in Downing Street, and there were rumours that Gordon Brown disliked her. In January 2009, she returned to Edinburgh.[5][6] On 27 July 2009, she died in Edinburgh, due to a short illness.[7]
References
- 1 2 Assinder, Nick (11 September 2007). "No 10 gets new feline first lady". BBC News. Retrieved 13 September 2007.
- ↑ "Watch out, Brown: there's a new cat in town" (Press release). Agence France-Presse. 12 September 2007. Retrieved 28 July 2009.
- ↑ "Trappings of family life threaten Humphrey's patch". Daily Telegraph (London). 6 May 1997. Archived from the original on 27 May 2002. Retrieved 25 January 2011.
- ↑ Prince, Rosa (12 September 2007). "Downing Street gets new cat". The Daily Mirror. Retrieved 13 September 2007.
- ↑ "A Country Life for the No. 10 Cat". The Daily Mail. 30 January 2009. Retrieved 30 October 2011.
- ↑ McSmith, Andy (29 July 2009). "Farewell to the original New Labour cat". The Independent. Retrieved 30 October 2011.
- ↑ Crichton, Torcuil (28 July 2009). "Darling's cat Sybil dies after a short illness". The Herald. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
| Vacant Title last held by Humphrey |
Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office 2007–2009 |
Vacant Title next held by Larry |
| ||||||