A newly adopted cat belonging to Belgian Prime Minister Bart de Wever has just taken residence at Belgium's Rue de la Loi 16, the prime minister’s official residence. Maximus Textoris Pulcher, a Scottish fold adopted from the Poezenbos animal shelter in Buggenhout, will call the residence its home for at least the next four years.
According to the prime minister, the tomcat has already been living at the residence for the past few weeks and has already been made to feel at home. The cat has already played an important role within the cabinet, helping to mediate the government’s summer agreement.
“During the nighttime sessions, he delivered a lament that perfectly summed up the situation with well-timed interventions,” De Wever wrote on his official Facebook page. Within hours of the announcement, the Belgian prime minister announced that Maximus already has an official Instagram page. His followers can stay up to date with his antics at @maximustp16.
Credit: Bart de Wever/Facebook
As a Scottish Fold, Maximus is technically a banned breed in Belgium. In 2021, Flemish Minister of Animal Welfare Ben Weyts banned the breed due to its stylised folded ears, which cause pain in the animal. The cat was found abandoned and brought to a shelter, from which they were adopted by the prime minister.
The cat is also a carrier of the FIV virus (feline immunodeficiency virus), which means it will never be able to go outside. Cats carrying the virus can live long and healthy lives with proper attention and treatment. According to De Wever’s post, Maximus has been given a “huge living space” and is “taken care of with lots of love every day.”
Credit: Bart de Wever/Facebook
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The office has already given the feline official titles and duties. According to the cat’s Instagram page, the cat advisors in matters related to “sneaking” and “spinning”. Styled as a Roman senator, the cat is referred to as the “grey eminence” and the government’s own “spindoctor.” Maximus has already received recognition from the state as the “most cuddliest” advisor to the prime minister.
Any resemblance of Maximus to the Belgian prime minister, De Wever himself admitted to VRT, was more of a reflection on the Belgian leader, rather than the cat. Maximus becomes the second cat in high office in Europe, joining the ranks of Larry, chief mouser to the British Cabinet Office, who has been in residence since 2011.
