Vote 4 July! Entering his 14th year at #10, Larry the Cat has provided stability since 2011!
Larry the Cat at #10. Editorial credit: Drop of Light / Shutterstock.com
Despite the recent surprise annoucement by current UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak calling for a 4 July general election, there has been one constant at the most famous address this side of 221B Baker Street 10 Downing Street since 2011.
Serving as Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office of the United Kingdom at 10 Downing Street, the residence and home office of Britain’s prime minister, Larry the Cat was appointed in 2011 and finds himself now preparing to enter his 14th year in residence in 2025, serving his fifth PM in the last decade, (three of them in the span of 45 days!). Larry has outlasted prime ministers David Cameron, Theresa May, Boris Johnson, Liz Truss (45 days) and is now with current PM, Rishi Sunak.
Said to be entering his 16th year on Planet Earth, Larry has enjoyed an enormously loyal following among British citizens over the years. So much so that a viral tweet from an unofficial account hours before Liz Truss announced her resignation in 2022, “The King has asked me to become Prime Minister because this nonsense has gone on long enough,” attracted thousands of comments to where a #Larry4Leader campaign was established before Rishi Sunak was annouced as the U.K.’s new Prime Minister. According to the campaign, Larry’s stands for including a “responsible hiss-cal policy” and “no lying in No 10 unless it’s on a comfy cushion”.
Larry, a former stray adopted from London’s Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, was recruited by then-Prime Minister David Cameron to deal with a pack of rats seen scuttling close to the British leader’s official residence, and entered Downing Street on Feb. 15, 2011. “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,” said Lindsey Quinlan, the head of cattery of Battersea.
Larry spends his days greeting guests to the house, inspecting security defenses and testing antique furniture for napping quality. His day-to-day responsibilities also include contemplating a solution to the mouse occupancy of the house. Larry says this is still ‘in tactical planning stages’.
Come 4 July, if I could, I know who I would be voting for….
In: Odds & Sods
