Larry the cat has officially outlasted a sixth UK prime minister with the resignation of Keir Starmer, adding to his list, which consists of David Cameron, Theresa May, Boris Johnson, Liz Truss, and Rishi Sunak.
Larry, the nearly 20-year-old chief mouser to the Cabinet Office, has spent the past 15 years catching mice at Number 10 Downing Street, the British prime minister’s official residence.
Larry is a tabby cat who was adopted from Battersea Dogs and Cats Home in February 2011 by then-prime minister David Cameron and his wife, Samantha.
The chief mouser has charmed the hearts of the British and international public, and the internet has taken great delight in the first feline being the only constant in the revolving door of 10 Downing Street.
“Larry the cat should be the next UK prime minister,” one user wrote on X/Twitter, with commenters noting that he has more experience in the political realm than many career politicians.
“The only stable thing about the UK government is Larry the cat. We had 6 prime ministers in the last 7 years, it’s embarrassing,” another wrote.
Cats have held position in UK government since 16th Century
The earliest record of a cat residing with English leadership was during King Henry VIII’s reign, when Cardinal Thomas Wolsey allowed his cat to serve alongside him as lord chancellor.
Larry is currently the second-longest serving chief mouser, just behind Peter III, who served from 1947 – 1964 under Clement Attlee, Winston Churchill, Anthony Eden, Harold Macmillan, and Alec Douglas-Home.
Larry’s tenure began after multiple rat sightings on the steps of Number 10 Downing Street in early 2011, causing a "pro-cat faction" within Downing Street to lobby for an expert to be brought in to handle the issue.
Larry is currently nearly 100 in human years but shows no sign of slowing down, and will continue to carry out his duties as Starmer begins transitioning out of Number 10 Downing Street.