Prime ministers come and go. Larry requires a considerably stronger incentive to surrender his place at Number 10.
Downing Street's Chief Mouser is recovering after a minor operation to remove a cyst this week. On Friday 9 October, a Downing Street source told ITV News he was doing well and already roaming the building again.
At an estimated 19 years old, Larry has earned a little recuperation. Whether the mice have interpreted this as a temporary ceasefire remains unconfirmed.
Seven prime ministers, one permanent resident
Larry arrived on 15 February 2011. That makes his Downing Street residence 15 years and nearly eight months: a substantial career by any measure, particularly at an address where the human occupants have proved rather less permanent.
He has shared the premises with seven prime ministers: David Cameron, Theresa May, Boris Johnson, Liz Truss, Rishi Sunak, Keir Starmer and now Andy Burnham.
There have been elections, resignations, leadership contests and removals vans. Larry's approach to continuity has been considerably more straightforward: stay.
Yes, Cameron really did declare his love in the Commons
Anyone remembering David Cameron mentioning Larry during his farewell to Parliament has remembered correctly.
At his final Prime Minister's Questions on 13 July 2016, Cameron addressed rumours that he was not fond of the cat, telling MPs: “This is the rumour that somehow I do not love Larry; I do, and I have photographic evidence to prove it.”
He held up a photograph of the pair together. Cameron also explained that he could not take Larry with him because the cat belonged to the house, and said both he and the staff loved him.
It was a rare Westminster dispute in which the evidence consisted of a photograph of a man sitting with a cat.
A rescue cat with admirers in high places
Larry began as a stray before being taken in by Battersea Dogs & Cats Home. Reports of rodents appearing during television broadcasts outside Downing Street helped prompt his recruitment.
Former Downing Street aide Liz Sugg recalled that Battersea recommended a streetwise cat who could cope with the building's busy atmosphere. Larry approached her, she stroked him, and the visiting group fell for him.
Cameron was not the only occupant happy to associate with Number 10's feline celebrity. Sunak cuddled Larry in his 2023 Christmas video. Truss had posted a photograph with him in 2019 using the hashtag “lovecats”. Neither appearance, of course, amounts to a formal endorsement from Larry.
Who keeps the food bowl filled?
Downing Street staff care for Larry. When he arrived in 2011, the prime minister's spokesman said staff would provide for his food and veterinary bills at no expense to the taxpayer.
A January 2026 account published by the Museum of the Prime Minister describes a select group feeding him. His home is Downing Street rather than the private household of whichever prime minister happens to be in residence.
For now, the important news is that he is back home and recovering. After seven prime ministers, Larry has surely earned the right to put his paws up.
Sources
- ITV News: Larry's operation and recovery, 9 October 2026
- Number 10: official history and Larry's arrival date
- Hansard: Cameron's final PMQs, 13 July 2016
- Number 10: original care and funding arrangements
- Museum of the Prime Minister: Larry's adoption and care
- ITV News: Larry and his prime ministerial housemates
- LBC: Larry's recovery under Andy Burnham