UK: 10 Downing Street's 'incredible' cat celebrates 10 years as mouse-catcher in chief

Larry the cat, who was recruited back in 2011 by then-PM David Cameron, marked a decade as Britain’s mouse-catcher in chief on February 15. According to Associated Press, Larry is a former stray and he was adopted from London’s Battersea Dogs and Cats Home. He was recruited to London’s 10 Downing Street to deal with a pack of rats seen running around near the British leader’s official residence, after which he was given the title ‘Chief Mouser’ to the Cabinet Office, which is an unofficial pest control post. 

Larry is the first cat to hold the rat-catching portfolio since the retirement of Humphrey in 1997. He has loyally served three prime ministers and he is not only a “brilliant” ambassador for Battersea but has also demonstrated how “incredible” rescue cats are. According to his Twitter account, @Number10cat, Larry has no plans for retiring, instead, he is planning for his 20th anniversary already. 

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Lindsey Quinlan, the head of the cattery of Battersea, said, “Throughout his time at Number 10, Larry has proven himself to not only be a brilliant ambassador for Battersea but also demonstrated to millions of people around the world how incredible rescue cats are”.

She added, “His rags to riches tale is yet more proof of why all animals deserve a second chance — one minute they may be an overlooked stray on the streets, the next they could become one of the nation’s beloved political figures, with fans around the world”. 

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About Larry the cat 

Larry has met a number of world leaders, including former US President Barack Obama and Donald Trump. He is popular among the public and he was also a sentimental topic of conversation in Cameron’s final appearance in Parliament as Prime Minister when he said he wanted to quash a rumor that he didn’t like Larry. Back then, Cameron had said that Larry belongs to the house and the staff loves him very much. The ex-PM had also shared a picture of the cat lying on his lap. 

In 2019, rumors had again swirled that Larry might be headed for retirement with the news that the new PM Boris Johnson was a dog man. However, despite the PM moving, Larry remained in office. Further, Larry also became known for his occasional scraps with neighboring cats, especially Palmerston, who was the chief mouser to the Foreign Office across the street. 

Now, Larry is 14-years-old. He is often seen by photographers patrolling his turf. Visitors can often find him napping on a ledge above a radiator or sleeping on a floor, where dignitaries occasionally have to step over him. 

(Win inputs from AP) 

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