Larry the cat, the U.Okay.’s most well-known feline, marks 15 years on Sunday (February 15, 2026) because the nation’s Chief Mouser patrolling the corridors of energy round quantity 10 Downing Avenue.
Recruited to cope with a rodent drawback, Larry arrived on the Prime Minister’s official residence on February 15, 2011.
He was adopted from the famend London animal shelter, Battersea Canine and Cats Residence, when he was believed to be about 4 years previous. David Cameron was Prime Minister on the time.
Since then, the white and tabby cat, formally launched on Downing Avenue’s web site because the “Chief Mouser to the Cupboard Workplace”, has reigned supreme from the nation’s most photographed doorstep.
His official biography on the Downing Avenue web site says aside from rodent management: “Larry spends his days greeting company to the home, inspecting safety defences and testing vintage furnishings for napping high quality.”
He has lived by six Prime Ministers, from Mr. Cameron to Keir Starmer, weathered the storms of Brexit, Covid-19, the chaos of “partygate,” Liz Truss’s 49-day whirlwind occupation, and the extra orderly months underneath Rishi Sunak.
Nothing appears to ruffle his fur as this political veteran glides from disaster to disaster with feline calm, and the lick of a paw.
A media darling, Larry, who’s now believed to be round 19, usually steals the highlight from visiting overseas leaders.
In December, he was on the doorstep to greet the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
In January, he even despatched a photographer stumbling on the purple carpet after darting unexpectedly between his legs throughout a go to by Poland’s President.
A whiskered influencer, Larry additionally boasts an X account @Number10cat adopted by greater than 8,77,500 followers.
Run by an nameless consumer, Larry grumbles about getting caught within the rain and generally takes catty swipes at politicians, notably U.Okay. Reform and the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump.
His first months “in workplace” even impressed a e book, “The Larry Diaries”, revealed in 2011.
Larry now shares the No. 10 residence with JoJo and Prince, the Starmer household cats.
Prince, a Siberian, joined the family in 2024 after “negotiations” with Starmer’s kids— who had wished a German Shepherd canine.
However there was an issue: “the one door out of our new flat is bomb proof,” Mr. Starmer advised the BBC in 2024. “Due to this fact, getting a cat flap is proving a bit of bit tough.”
Larry’s followers can chill out although: he’s thought-about a everlasting civil servant, which suggests he will get to remain at Downing Avenue for good. Not like Prime Ministers.
Larry just isn’t alone in being a feline companion to politicians.
On Saturday (February 14, 2026) got here unhappy information that Palmerston, a black-and-white cat, as soon as Mouser to the International Workplace and “Diplocat extraordinaire”, had handed away in Bermuda the place he retired in 2020.
“Farewell previous good friend x,” Larry posted on his X account, brushing apart rumours of rivalry between the pair.
Below former U.S. President Invoice Clinton, the black-and-white cat Socks took up residence within the White Home from 1993 to 2001.
As soon as a stray, Socks turned the star of a number of books and was usually featured by the U.Okay. cartoonist Steve Bell in his every day comedian strips.
And in Belgium, a rescue cat named Maximus has shot to social media stardom because the bewhiskered sidekick and PR weapon of Prime Minister Bart De Wever.
Revealed – February 15, 2026 11:02 am IST