Larry (cat) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Larry
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Official portrait, 2016
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| Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office | |
| Assumed role 15 February 2011 Serving with Freya (2012–2014)
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| Prime Minister | |
| Preceded by | Sybil (2009) |
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| Born | c. January 2007 (age 18) London, England |
| Residences | 10 Downing Street, London |
| Occupation |
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| Awards | Blue plaque at Battersea Dogs & Cats Home (2012) |
Larry, a British tabby cat, was born around January 2007. He has a very important job: he's the Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office at 10 Downing Street in London! This means he's the official mouse catcher for the Prime Minister's home and office. Larry started his job in 2011. He is looked after by the staff at Downing Street. He doesn't belong to the Prime Minister personally. Larry has seen six different Prime Ministers live at Number 10: David Cameron, Theresa May, Boris Johnson, Liz Truss, Rishi Sunak, and Keir Starmer.
Contents
Larry's Early Life
Larry was born as a stray cat in January 2007. He was later taken in by the Battersea Dogs & Cats Home. This is a famous animal rescue center in London. In 2011, staff from Downing Street adopted Larry. He was first meant to be a pet for Prime Minister Cameron's children.
People at Downing Street said Larry was a "good ratter." They also noted he had a strong desire to chase and hunt. In 2012, Battersea Dogs & Cats Home shared that Larry's fame helped more cats get adopted. Cat adoptions went up by 15 percent!
Larry's Important Job
What a Chief Mouser Does
The official Downing Street website describes Larry's duties. He greets important guests to the house. He also checks the security of the building. And, very importantly, he tests the old furniture for the best napping spots!
The website jokes that Larry is "thinking about a plan" to solve the mouse problem. He has told staff that this plan is still in the "tactical planning stage." Unlike other Chief Mousers before him, Larry's care is paid for by the staff. They volunteer to cover his food and other costs. This means the government doesn't pay for him. Staff have even held fun events, like quiz nights, to raise money for his food.
In 2016, David Cameron was Prime Minister. He explained that Larry is a civil servant. This means Larry works for the government, not for the Prime Minister personally. So, when a new Prime Minister takes over, Larry gets to stay at Downing Street. He has kept his job through the time of Prime Ministers Theresa May, Boris Johnson, Liz Truss, Rishi Sunak, and Keir Starmer.
Larry's Mouse-Catching Work
When Larry first arrived, some people said he wasn't very good at catching mice. They said he had "a distinct lack of killer instinct." Later that year, it was found that Larry spent more time sleeping than hunting. He also enjoyed the company of a female cat named Maisie.
In 2011, there were so many mice at Downing Street that Prime Minister Cameron once threw a fork at one! Because he didn't catch many mice, some newspapers called him "Lazy Larry." However, he made his first known mouse kill on April 22, 2011. On August 28, 2012, Larry caught a mouse in public. He dropped it on the lawn outside Number 10.
In September 2012, another cat named Freya also became a Chief Mouser. In October 2013, Larry caught four mice in just two weeks! One staff member even saved a mouse from him. In July 2015, two politicians, George Osborne and Matt Hancock, trapped a mouse in an office. The newspapers joked that Osborne might become the new Chief Mouser!
Larry's Health
In September 2023, a newspaper reported that Larry had been sick. They said Downing Street staff were getting ready for his death. But a statement from Downing Street quickly said this was not true. They said Larry was "happy and healthy." In August 2024, it was again reported that staff were making plans for how to announce Larry's death. However, they also said Larry was still doing fine.
Larry's Relationships with People
Former Prime Minister David Cameron once said Larry was "a bit nervous" around men. He thought this might be because Larry was a rescue cat and had bad experiences before. But Cameron noted that Barack Obama, the former U.S. President, was an exception. He said, "Funnily enough he liked Obama. Obama gave him a stroke and he was all right with Obama."
In September 2013, there were rumors that Cameron and Larry weren't getting along. It was said that Cameron didn't like cat hair on his suits. Also, the smell of cat food had to be hidden with air freshener when visitors came. Some thought the Camerons didn't like Larry and that he was just there for good publicity. Cameron posted on X (formerly Twitter) that he and Larry got along "purr-fectly well."
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When David Cameron left office in 2016, he was sad he couldn't take Larry with him. When Theresa May became Prime Minister, some worried Larry was stressed. They thought he might be missing the Cameron family. In June 2019, Larry was seen on the window ledge outside 10 Downing Street. This happened while Theresa May and her husband posed with U.S. President Donald Trump and the First Lady. Larry later hid from the rain under Trump's special car. He only came out after some time.
In 2024, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced a general election in the pouring rain. Larry was seen on the BBC's live feed of Downing Street. He was patiently waiting to get back inside Number 10. While Sunak got very wet during his speech, Larry seemed to have stayed dry!
Larry's Relationships with Other Animals
In June 2012, George Osborne, who was in charge of the country's money, found his lost cat, Freya. She moved into 11 Downing Street, which is next door. Freya and Larry were said to get along well, but they were also seen fighting sometimes. Freya was thought to be the stronger cat and a better mouse catcher. This was because her time as a stray had made her tough. In November 2014, Freya left Downing Street. This left Larry as the only official mouse catcher. In 2013, Osborne also got a pet dog named Lola. Staff said Lola was "cat friendly."
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In September 2019, a new dog named Dilyn came to stay at Downing Street. Dilyn belonged to Boris Johnson and Carrie Symonds. The Battersea Dogs & Cats Home offered to help Larry and Dilyn get along. In December 2020, Larry chased a pigeon outside Boris Johnson's home. He even caught it! But the pigeon managed to fly away, seemingly unharmed. In October 2022, Larry chased a fox away from outside 10 Downing Street. The fox was almost twice his size! This moment was caught on camera.
In June 2021, Rishi Sunak adopted a Fox Red Labrador puppy named Nova. Nova lived at 11 Downing Street. In September 2023, Sunak's wife said that Larry and Nova had "heated exchanges." She said Larry always came out on top!
In April 2024, Keir Starmer, who was then the leader of the opposition, said his family had a rescue cat named Jojo. It was expected that Jojo would also live at Number 10 if Starmer became Prime Minister. A cat charity offered advice to help Larry and Jojo get along. In September 2024, it was revealed that another cat, a Siberian kitten, had joined the Starmer family. The children originally wanted a dog. But they were convinced to get another cat because of a tricky door inside Number 10. Later that month, Starmer said the kitten's name is Prince. Prince is white with blue eyes.
Larry's Rivalry with Palmerston
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In April 2016, a new cat named Palmerston moved into the Foreign Office. This building is very close to Downing Street. Even though they sometimes got along, the two cats fought many times. One politician joked that he hoped Palmerston and Larry would find a way to live peacefully together. In July of that year, Palmerston even got into Number 10! Security staff had to make him leave.
In September 2016, a question was asked in the House of Lords. It asked why the government didn't pay for Larry's vet bill after a fight with Palmerston. It also asked if civil servants would be paid back for caring for Larry. The government's spokesperson said that staff paid for Larry's costs themselves. They did this through donations because they loved Larry.
On August 1, 2016, a photographer said Larry had his "most brutal fight yet" with Palmerston. This happened on the steps of Number 10. Larry lost his collar during the fight. Palmerston got several deep scratches and a badly cut ear. In August 2020, Palmerston "wrote" a letter saying he was retiring. He was moving to the countryside. News reports said that his fights with Larry were not thought to be why he left.
Awards and Recognition
Larry received a special blue plaque at Battersea Dogs and Cats Home in October 2012. This plaque honors important historical figures or events. Also, a new type of beetle, first found in 2021, was named after him! It's called Caccothryptus larryi.
See also
- Gladstone – Chief Mouser of HM Treasury
- Jennie (dog)
- List of individual cats
