For the cat lovers: Humphrey the Downing St cat has died

[Greeby]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4823834.stm

The 10 Downing Street cat Humphrey has died, a spokesman for the prime minister has confirmed.

The black and white feline passed away at the home of a Cabinet Office worker who took him when he "retired".

Humphrey was adopted by Number 10 after wandering into the building as a stray while Margaret Thatcher was PM in 1989.

He moved out six months after Labour's 1997 general election win, with Tony Blair's wife Cherie denying reports her dislike for the animal was to blame. -snip-

[benburch]

1. Looks like he had a long run!

17 years old at least!

I knew the Blairs were bad people when they showed him the door.

[Warpy]

2. Well, allergies may or may not have been a factor

but yes, they were rotten SOBs to throw the kitty out.

If I turned allergic to my two furballs, I'd get shots for it.

May they be cursed with a houseful of bubonic infected RATS.

[oscarmitre]

3. Thatcher did one thing right

the Blairs are just total screw-ups.

[niyad]

4. May Lady Bast welcome you home to the Summerland, Humphrey

[wicket]

5. What a beauty

Glad he had such a long life.

[muriel_volestrangler]

6. Weird - I had read something about him only today

Via a long sequence of meaningless links, I ended up reading the Wikipedia article about "Yes Minister", and noticed the bit about him being named after Sir Humphrey.