The story of 10 Downing Street’s most famous resident. And it’s not a prime minister – Firstpost

The UK general election is over, the results are in, and Keir Starmer and the Labour Party have emerged victorious. There is a lot of hustle and bustle as 10 Downing Street prepares for a new government. But while staff rush from pillar to post to prepare for the new Prime Minister, there is a certain calm among one member – Larry the Cat, Britain’s chief mouser.

The cat remains unfazed as it awaits its sixth Prime Minister in 14 years and its first ever Labour Prime Minister; the other five in the past have all been from the Conservative Party.

Let’s take a closer look at the Cabinet Office’s chief mouser and learn how he became 10 Downing’s most famous resident.

From rags to riches

Larry the tabby cat was born a stray in 2007 and adopted by then Prime Minister David Cameron from London’s Battersea Dogs and Cats Home in 2011. Originally acquired as a pet for Cameron’s children, Larry quickly rose to the title of Chief Mouser in the Cabinet Office and was tasked with dealing with rats scurrying around the British President’s official residence.

His other official duties, according to the British government website, include “welcoming guests to the house, checking security measures and testing antique furniture for sleeping quality. His daily tasks also include thinking about a solution to the mice infestation in the house. Larry says this is still “in the tactical planning phase.”

A report by USA today states that he is the first cat to hold a Pied Piper portfolio since Humphreys retired in 1997.

Interestingly, during his last Prime Minister’s Questions in 2016, David Cameron stated that Larry was a civil servant and therefore would not leave Downing Street following a change in the Prime Minister’s office.

In his years as chief mouser, he has seen the occupancy of 10 Downing change, but he remains permanent. In 2022, he also “told” the public: “I live here permanently, politicians are temporary residents” as Sunak took office.

As a “permanent resident” of 10 Downing, Larry has also met several leading politicians. He showed sympathy for former US President Barack Obama, but did not feel the same for his successor Donald Trump. When Trump visited the UK in 2019, Larry decided to lie down under Trump’s £1.2 million armoured Cadillac, meaning the former US President could not leave after meeting Theresa May.

Work performance

Although Larry initially enjoyed success in office, his performance was far from outstanding. In his first month after arriving in Downing Street Daily Telegraph reported that Larry showed “a distinct lack of killer instinct.”

However, he is known to defend his territory (who wouldn’t be if he stayed in one place for so long) and has had fights with the State Department’s cat, Palmerston. In 2016, Larry had to be taken to the vet after his scuffle with Palmerston. But since Palmerston moved to the country, things have calmed down a bit.

In 2022, Larry received praise when he went above and beyond his mouse-catcher duties and took on a fox outside 10 Downing Street. The video of the cat-dog altercation went viral and shows Larry sneaking up on the little fox with laser focus. When the fox tried to hide in a flowerbed, Larry pounced on it and chased it away.

Larry has been accommodating to Prime Ministers’ pets in the past. When Boris Johnson was elected Prime Minister, many wondered how Larry would cope with Johnson’s Jack Russell mix, Dilyn. But Larry remained calm.

However, Akshata Murty, the outgoing first lady, said there were some “heated arguments” between Larry and their fox-red Labrador retriever, Nova, but Larry always came out on top.

It remains to be seen whether Starmer’s cat Jojo, whom the would-be prime minister says is adored by his children, will come to 10 Downing Street and, if so, how she will get on with Larry.

Perfect for the cameras

Larry is not camera shy either. Sky News He knows exactly where the television cameras are and where to position himself, so he regularly appears on television news reports and at major political events in the nation’s living rooms.

He also appears when the cameras are rolling in Downing Street and once even devoured a journalist’s sandwich.

His unofficial X-account has also amassed over 844,000 followers.

So as Starmer plans his move into 10 Downing, it is important to remember what he has said in the past: “The most important thing is that I live here permanently, the politicians only live with me for a while until they get fired. Sooner or later they all realise that I am the one in charge.”

With contributions from agencies

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