As the UK gears up for a general election on July 4, Larry the Cat, the long-serving Downing Street tabby, may soon welcome his sixth prime minister.
Larry, who has been a fixture at 10 Downing Street since February 2011, has already seen five Conservative prime ministers come and go. If current polls are accurate, he will soon meet his first Labour prime minister.
Incumbent Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his fox-red labrador retriever Nova may soon depart. According to Sunak’s wife, Akshata Murty, Larry and Nova have had some “heated exchanges,” but Larry has always prevailed.
Labour leader Keir Starmer recently shared that his family owns a cat named Jojo and a hamster named Bear. However, it is unclear if either pet would join him in Downing Street if he wins.
Larry has fiercely defended his territory over the years, frequently clashing with Palmerston, the Foreign Ministry’s former resident cat. Larry has also chased away urban foxes and pigeons, though one pigeon famously escaped his grasp while media watched.
Larry first arrived in Downing Street after being adopted from the Battersea shelter in south London. He was brought in under then-Prime Minister David Cameron to control the mouse population and was given the official title of “Chief Mouser.” Despite a few early successes, Larry’s performance as a mouser has been mixed.
Larry has been a friendly presence to reporters on the politics beat. BBC political correspondent Helen Catt noted, “He’s interested. He tends to come up and have a look when you’re there with the camera crew.”
Larry has even shared his thoughts on the upcoming election through his official @Number10cat social media account. “I don’t get to vote in the general election, but I do have to live with whoever you elect. No pressure,” read one post. Another stated, “Whatever the result of the election, I’ll be here to keep an eye on things.”
Reflecting on his tenure, Larry attributed his longevity to the fact that while politicians come and go, he remains a permanent resident. “They all work out sooner or later that it’s me that runs the place,” he said.
