The World’s Oldest Cat Door Is Still in Use

Centuries ago, mice and rats often found their way into cathedrals. To protect their food and books from damage, the people who looked after these buildings brought in cats to catch the rodents.

the oldest cat door with a hole — Source: exeter cathedral

For centuries, Exeter Cathedral relied on cats to keep mice and rats under control. It also lays claim to the world’s oldest cat door.

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Someone cut a small opening at the bottom of a large wooden door so the cats could come and go on their own. That simple idea paved the way for the cat flap we use today.

the cat sneaks through the oldest door — Source: church times

With two Norman towers and a vast interior, Exeter Cathedral gave its cats plenty of ground to cover. It’s easy to imagine how busy they kept chasing mice and rats.

The story of these cathedral cats has caught the attention of readers around the world. One of the most surprising details comes from old records. The cathedral’s cats were paid for their work.

a black and white cat slips through the oldest cat door — Source: twitter

The cathedral’s bell ringers and ceremony attendants had another job. These workers, known as custors, also looked after the cats.

A small opening in the North Tower door served as a cat flap. The cats slipped through it to hunt mice inside the cathedral.

beautiful cathedral — Source: exeter cathedral

The cats even earned a small wage for catching mice. Records from 1305 to 1467 show that the cathedral set aside 13 pence every three months. Some entries list the money for both the cat and its caretakers, while others list it for the cat alone.

That worked out to about a penny a week, which likely paid for the cat’s food.

Between 1363 and 1366, the records show payments of 26 pence. Since that was twice the usual amount, the cathedral may have had two cats on duty at the time.

interior of the cathedral — Source: exeter cathedral

Exeter Cathedral kept cats long after the Middle Ages. During World War II, a cat named Tom patrolled the cathedral and caught mice without earning a penny.

the cat peeks its head through the wooden door — Source: exeter cathedral

Tom made it through the war, though he lost an eye in a fight with an owl. People at the cathedral were so fond of him that they honored him with a carving in the restored Chapel of St. James.

Today, a ginger cat named Audrey still slips through the centuries-old cat door. Like the cats before her, she keeps the cathedral free of mice.