As Liz Truss prepares to enter Downing Street as Britain’s new prime minister, a key question on the public’s mind will be – what happens to Larry the cat?
More beloved than any serving PM, Larry is a pillar of government and has been the friendly, furry face of No 10 for more than a decade.
The tabby cat was recruited by then-prime minister David Cameron on 15 February 2011 to deal with a pack of rats seen scuttling close to the British leader’s official residence and has been in residence ever since.
He holds the title of chief mouser to the Cabinet Office.
The former stray, adopted from London’s Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, was the first kitty to hold the rat-catching portfolio since the retirement of Humphrey in 1997 and has already served loyally under three Tory PMs.
Larry, who has also met a number of world leaders, has been largely unfriendly to men, but did take a liking to former US president Barack Obama.
But when the latter’s successor Donald Trump visited in 2019, the feline took a nap under his car, perhaps wisely.
Luckily for the British public, Larry remains a rare constant in the chaotic political world of Westminster.
He is technically owned by the staff at Downing Street and so will not be leaving with Mr Johnson, preferring to stay on to keep an eye on Ms Truss.
Long may Larry serve this country.
