In unsettled political times, Britain has found a small measure of continuity in four paws, a set of whiskers and an impressive commitment to sleep. Larry the cat marks 15 years on the job on Sunday (UK time) as the government’s official rodent-catcher and the country’s unofficial first feline. Over that stretch he has outlasted six prime ministers, turning him into a familiar face for the nation, whatever changes behind the famous black door.
“Larry the cat’s approval ratings will be very high – and prime ministers tend not to hit those numbers,” said Philip Howell, a Cambridge University professor who has studied the history of human-animal relations. “He represents stability, and that’s at a premium.”
The grey-and-white tabby’s rise has been as unlikely as it is charming, from stray to the heart of government at 10 Downing Street, where he holds the title Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office. Adopted from Battersea Dogs and Cats Home by then prime minister David Cameron, Larry moved into Downing Street on February 15, 2011.
The government’s own profile of Larry lists a varied workload, including greeting visitors, keeping an eye on security and assessing antique furniture “for napping quality”. He also has a talent for appearing at precisely the wrong, or right, moment, often strolling into view when world leaders arrive at the famous black door, to the delight of photographers.
“He’s great at photo-bombing,” said Justin Ng, a freelance photographer who has come to know Larry well over the years. “If there’s a foreign leader that’s about to visit, then we know he’ll just come out at the exact moment that meet-and-greet is about to happen.”
Larry has encountered more than his share of global figures, who sometimes find themselves stepping around him. He’s said to be less keen on men in general, although he reportedly warmed to former US president Barack Obama and prompted a smile from President Volodymyr Zelensky during one of the Ukrainian leader’s visits to London. When US President Donald Trump visited in 2019, Larry wandered into the official photo and later settled down for a nap beneath the Beast, the president’s armoured car.
Accounts of his hunting record vary. He has been photographed catching the occasional mouse, and once grabbed a pigeon, though it got away. “He’s more of a lover than a fighter,” Ng said. “He’s very good at what he does: Lounging around and basically showing people that he’s very nonchalant.”
Life in Downing Street has also brought its share of furry politics. Larry has shared the territory, sometimes tensely, with other prime ministerial pets, including Boris Johnson’s Jack Russell cross Dilyn and Rishi Sunak’s Labrador, Nova. He’s kept separate from current Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s family cats, JoJo and Prince, who live in the private quarters, while Larry holds sway over the working areas.
Across the road, he also had a famously fiery rivalry with Palmerston, the Foreign Office’s resident cat. The pair were photographed squabbling more than once before Palmerston retired in 2020. Palmerston died a few days ago in Bermuda, where he had been working as “feline relations consultant” to the governor.