Mrs Thatcher’s Cat Pussikins
Although there is nothing on the Internet (as far as I can tell) about Margaret Thatcher’s cat, I’d like to briefly discuss the topic on her recent death.
The tough side of her softened about ten years after she resigned as Prime Minister. Apparently, she began to behave more like a granny than the iron lady of British politics.
Whatever people think of her, and people are very divided in their opinions, she was a lady and she had some great qualities. She was loved and loathed but never ignored.
She acquired a cat to live with her in five-storey property in Belgravia, central London. She adopted the cat from Battersea Dogs & Cats Home, which is not very far from her home. I don’t know the sex of the cat but I’ll guess he was male and he was a fat ginger cat. He was probably a red tabby cat. That would be very suitable for her. Red tabbies are meant to be pretty sold characters.
She named the new resident herself. She called him “Pussikins”. That name tells us a bit about Margaret’s personality. I think it is fair to say the name is a little unimaginative and old fashioned. The name indicates to me a lack of real desire to connect with her cat but that is a big guess. That said Pussikins had his own chair in the drawing room.
We have to credit her for adopting a cat and rescue cat at that. The idea may have come from one of her many friends and visitors. Perhaps the idea behind it was for her to have some company and to slow her down a bit. She was a very energetic lady who only felt right when she was doing something.
So, was Margaret Thatcher a “cat person”? Do you think she really liked cats? I don’t think so. She had a kind side and she was always well mannered. She was photographed petting a dog when sitting in Battersea Park with her carer and police officer not that long before she died of a minor stroke while reading in bed at the Ritz Hotel where she stayed for free.
Once again, this indicates a kind side to her character. She wasn’t unkind, although many people such as the miners would strongly disagree with that.