Though they have a reputation for laziness , catsare capable of hold regular Job . Libraries , fire station , and evenDisney theme parkshave employed felines for their pest controller skills . This symbiotic relationship between pets and people was alive all the way back in the 16th century , as evidenced by a cat door work up into an English cathedral .

According toHyperallergic , Exeter Cathedral ’s cat door is one of the oldest known to exist . The church was founded in the county of Devon in1050 , and its current wooden door was install in 1376 . The door led to a large astronomical clock that was greased with fauna fat to keep the gears moving smoothly . This appeal rodents , and in 1598 , Exeter bishop William Cotton had carpenter chip at a jam in the door so thirsty cats could enter .

The church adopt the fauna ’ mouse - run duties badly . Cathedral record from the 14th and fifteenth century show that cats were typically paid 13 penny a fourth for their efforts . Some text file show payments of26 pence , but they do n’t narrow down whether this went to two cats or one particularly hard doer with an insatiable appetite . The record also do n’t clarify how the true cat collect or spent their salary .

Article image

Dating back 425 years , the hombre threshold is certainly old , but some argumentation whether it deserves the title of world ’s oldest . A like entry can be observed in Italy ’s Christian church of San Giorgio , which was constructed between1566 and 1610 . While the origins of other historical computed axial tomography door are mysterious , the one at Exeter is unique in that it can be traced back to an exact year . That alone makes it one of the most noteworthy examples of the feature . Instead of preserve it behind shabu , the church service still uses the doorway for its original purpose . A cathedral Arabian tea list Stapledon ( list after a13th - century bishop ) has been spottedpoking his headthrough the hole in recent years .

Cats making use of a cat door.