Guardian of the British Museum for two decades, Mike the cat arrived as a small black kitten in early spring of 1909. Found near the official residence steps by Sir Ernest Wallis Budge, the Keeper of Egyptian Antiquities, the feline was promptly named Mike and adopted into the museum family.
Initially allowed to roam the museum grounds freely, Mike quickly established himself as a permanent fixture of the institution. From February 1909 until January 1929, Mike served as the unofficial guardian of the main gate. He patrolled the museum premises daily, befriended the gatekeepers at the main lodge, and proved remarkably effective at keeping the rodent population under control. Mike had an unusual ritual of catching pigeons alongside the resident house cat.
For twenty years, Mike the cat patrolled the British Museum’s grounds, befriending gatekeepers and keeping unwanted rodents at bay.
The staff officially recognized him as the gate assistant, a title he seemed to wear with notable pride. Mike formed a lifelong friendship with Sir Ernest Wallis Budge but maintained a selective approach to human interaction. He allowed petting only from his owner and Budge, though he welcomed the hospitality of the gatekeepers’ lodge as his second home. Mike was known for his fierce attitude toward dogs, increasing his size dramatically during confrontations to scare them away.
The refreshment-room waitresses regularly provided him with milk and scraps, guaranteeing he never went hungry. Even during the lean years of World War I, Mike lived comfortably. Budge personally guaranteed his food supply despite widespread shortages, and evening feeds from staff became a regular occurrence.
As his reputation grew, Mike became a minor London tourist attraction in his own right. His popularity reflected the museum’s status as the UK’s most popular attraction, drawing millions of visitors annually who often delighted in spotting the famous feline. Mike’s death in January 1929 marked the end of his 20-year tenure and prompted widespread mourning. The Evening Standard published his obituary, and TIME magazine covered his passing.
The Assistant Keeper of the Printed Books Department composed an elegy in his honor. Mike’s legacy lived on through a small tombstone near the Great Russell Street entrance, which read: “He assisted in keeping the main gate of the British Museum from February 1909 to January 1929.”
Though the tombstone was later removed, Budge prepared a memorial biography in limited edition, assuring that the memory of Britain’s most celebrated museum cat would endure.
