The British favourite cat, Larry, who holds the title of honorary mouse of Downing Street (the Prime Minister’s residence), now shares a roof with the cat of the new head of the British government and a small Siberian kitten, who is also protected by Keir Starmer’s family.
Larry, 17, is known for his capriciousness and intolerance towards other animals: in 2022 he chased a fox out of the courtyard of his Downing Street residence, and in 2023 he got into a fight with Palmerston the cat, the British Foreign Office’s chief mouser.
However, in 2024, the British elected a new prime minister: for the first time in many years, the leader of the Labour Party, Keir Starmer. He moved into 10 Downing Street with his wife and children at the end of July. He brought with him the family’s favourite cat JoJo, who, like Larry, was taken from the shelter.
Larry was born on the streets in 2007 and “adopted” by Downing Street staff from a shelter in 2011. He is the first cat to be given the official title of “Chief Mouser” and the government describes his role as “reviewing security systems and testing the sleep quality of antique furniture” and “thinking about solving the problem of mouse infestation in the home.”
@usernamejosunshineart7 Keir Starmer Prime Minister with Larry the cat at 10 Downing Street A1 size no5344 #josunshineart #KeirStarmer #PrimeMinister #DowningStreet ♬ Heyelan – İbrahim Çelik
Additionally, Larry and JoJo’s life is now filled with problems and concerns about the younger generation as Stormer’s family took in a tiny Siberian kitten from an animal shelter. The baby arrived to the family on September 2 and has not yet been shown in public as they are currently in quarantine.
The British prime minister also said he had agreed to install a cat flap.
Cursor previously reported that a Persian cat named Louis made a unique journey, climbing the highest peaks in England, Scotland and Wales. He went down in history as the first representative of his species to achieve such an ascent.
