Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office since 2011
Larry (born c. January 2007) is a British domestic tabby cat who has served as Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office at 10 Downing Street since 2011. He is cared for by Downing Street staff, and is not the personal property of the prime minister of the United Kingdom. Larry has lived at 10 Downing Street during the premierships of six prime ministers: David Cameron, Theresa May, Boris Johnson, Liz Truss, Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer. He is the first cat to be officially given the title of Chief Mouser, according to the Downing Street government website.[1]
Early life [ edit ]
Larry was born as a stray cat around January 2007 and later came into the possession of Battersea Dogs & Cats Home. In 2011 he was adopted by Downing Street staff, initially intended to be a pet for Cameron’s children.[2] He was described by Downing Street sources as a "good ratter" and as having "a high chase-drive and hunting instinct".[3] In 2012 the Home said Larry's publicity had resulted in a 15% increase in cat adoptions.[4]
Soon after he was taken in at Downing Street, a story circulated in the press purporting that Larry was a lost cat and that the original owner had begun a campaign to retrieve him.[5] However, it was later found to be a hoax, and neither the owner nor the campaign existed.[6]
Career [ edit ]
Official duties [ edit ]
The Downing Street website describes Larry's duties as "greeting guests to the house, inspecting security defences and testing antique furniture for napping quality". It says he is "contemplating a solution to the mouse occupancy of the house" and has told Downing Street that such a solution is still in the "tactical planning stage".[1] Unlike his predecessors since 1929, Larry's costs are funded voluntarily by members of staff, at no cost to His Majesty's Government.[7][8] Fundraising events (organised to pay for his food) are believed to have included a quiz night, held in the state rooms.[9] David Cameron explained during his final Prime Minister's Questions in 2016 that Larry is a civil servant and not his personal property, and would therefore stay at Downing Street after his successor took office.[10] Larry has maintained his position through the May, Johnson, Truss, Sunak and Starmer ministries.
Work as chief mouser [ edit ]
Within a month of his arrival at Downing Street, anonymous sources described Larry as having "a distinct lack of killer instinct."[11] Later that year, it was revealed that Larry spent more time sleeping than hunting for mice, and shared the company of a female cat, Maisie.[12] At one point in 2011, mice were so endemic in Downing Street that the Prime Minister, David Cameron, resorted to throwing a fork at one during a Cabinet dinner.[12] His lack of killer instinct also earned him the nickname "Lazy Larry" by the tabloid press.[13] He made his first known kill, a mouse, on 22 April 2011.[14] On 28 August 2012 Larry made his first public killing, dropping his prey on the lawn in front of Number 10.[15] In September 2012 Freya was also appointed the role of Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office. In October 2013 Larry caught four mice in two weeks and one staff member rescued a mouse from his clutches.[16]
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