“Politicians come and go, but cats stay forever,” reads the social network “X” account @Number10cat dedicated to Larry, the country’s chief mouser, as he awaits the new leader Andy Burnham to replace Keir Starmer.
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In instructions to his new owners, he wrote: “Larry likes to have breakfast at nine o’clock, lunch at half past ten, and dinner at noon, and he needs lots of snacks between these meals. The rest of the work is a breeze.”
Here are some things worth knowing about the only permanent resident of this residence.
Humble origins
Larry, brought in to solve the rodent problem, arrived at the official Prime Minister’s residence on February 15, 2011, when David Cameron was leading the government.
He was taken from a London animal shelter when he was believed to be about four years old.
Since then, the white tabby cat, officially introduced on the Downing Street website as the “Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office,” has reigned at the country’s most photographed doorstep.
His official biography on the Downing Street website states that besides rodent control, “Larry spends his days greeting visitors to the house, checking security barriers, and testing antique furniture for suitability for naps.”
Seen off six prime ministers
He has survived the terms of six prime ministers – from D. Cameron to K. Starmer, weathered the storms of Brexit, the COVID-19 pandemic, the chaos of the “Partygate” scandal, and Liz Truss’s 49-day tenure.
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Unlike some members of K. Starmer’s cabinet, Larry is expected to keep his job under A. Burnham.
Media darling Larry, now believed to be about 19 years old, often steals the spotlight from visiting foreign leaders.
In December, he greeted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on the doorstep.
The cat influencer
The whiskered influencer Larry is followed by more than 900,000 fans on the social network “X.”
On an account run by an anonymous user, Larry complains about getting caught in the rain and sometimes makes sharp remarks, especially about “Reform UK” politicians and US President Donald Trump.
His first months of “service” even inspired the 2011 book “The Larry Diaries” (The Larry Diaries).
For the past two years, Larry has shared the Downing Street 10 residence with JoJo and Prince – the Starmer family cats.
However, there may be difficulties with the new prime minister: UK media reports that A. Burnham’s family has a dog. It is not yet clear whether the dog will move in as well.
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