Larry the cat marks another Downing Street leadership change

Larry the cat, officially the Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office, was set to share 10 Downing Street with a seventh prime minister as Andy Burnham prepared to replace Keir Starmer.

Larry's X account, @Number10cat, posted: “Politicians come and go; cats are permanent.” In instructions to incoming staff, the account said Larry likes breakfast at 9:00, brunch at 10:30 and lunch at noon, with snacks in between.

Larry arrived at the prime minister's official residence on February 15, 2011, when David Cameron was leader. He was recruited to deal with a rodent problem and was adopted from a London animal shelter when he was believed to be about four years old. The white and tabby cat is listed on the Downing Street website as Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office.

Larry's official biography says he spends his days greeting guests, inspecting security defences and testing antique furniture for napping quality. He has lived through six prime ministers, from Cameron to Starmer, and remained at Downing Street through Brexit, Covid-19, the “partygate” controversy and Liz Truss's 49-day premiership. He is expected to keep his role under Burnham.

Larry is now believed to be about 19 and has often drawn attention during official visits. In December, he was on the doorstep when Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited.

Larry's X account has more than 900,000 followers and is run by an anonymous user. It posts about topics including rain and has made critical jokes about Reform UK politicians and US President Donald Trump. His first months at No. 10 inspired a 2011 book, “The Larry Diaries”.

During Starmer's premiership, Larry shared the residence with JoJo and Prince, the Starmer family cats. UK media have reported that the Burnham family has a dog, but it is unclear whether the dog will move in.