Getty/Rasid Necati Aslim
A sad and mysterious piece of news has been knocking around the internet over the last 24 hours. Downing Street is preparing for the death of Larry the Cat, the infamous’ Chief Mouser’ who has resided at 10 Downing Street since 2017, surviving many government changes and turmoil within British politics.
The UK Independent broke the news on August 27th, when the paper revealed that Downing Street officials were preparing a ‘media plan’ for Larry the Cat, who is now 17 years old, eventually passing.
This stirred up rumours. Was Larry the Cat’s death imminent? The UK government traditionally prepares media plans and announcements ahead of anticipated deaths of importance to the British public – most regularly the Royal family. Larry the Cat is currently in good health, but for those across the sea, questions about why people care about this elderly Tabby have been raised.
Why Do We Care About Larry The Cat?
@apnews As the U.K. Prime Minister’s office prepared for U.S. President Joe Biden’s arrival Monday, a furry creature was brought in from the front step. Who is he? Meet Larry the cat, Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office.
♬ original sound – The Associated Press
Prime Minister David Cameron adopted Larry as a pet for his children in 2011. When the Prime Minister left Downing Street in 2016, he explained that Larry was a civil servant and would remain at Number 10 as Chief Mouser. Since then, Larry has survived five prime ministerships and a merry-go-round of British figures entering and leaving Downing Street.
While governments have come and gone, Larry the Cat has remained a point of stability for the British people in a turbulent political environment. And, while UK Prime Minister’s have been almost unanimously disliked, Larry The Cat’s approval rating has remained high. His tag on TikTok has accumulated 73.5 million views, and he has several popular (unofficial) Instagram accounts. Larry is a political svengali and media savant, frequently perfectly positioning himself during meet-and-greets. These are the moment’s that have won the hearts of the British, and now international, public.
Larry The Cat’s Best Moments At Downing Street
When he was four years old, he engaged in political diplomacy by greeting a visiting then-US President Barrack Obama.
In 2018, a Sky News reporter discussed the controversy during coverage of a Brexit battle over the government’s finance bill and the PM’s discomfort. Larry the Cat photobombed the broadcast, demanding to be let back into Number 10, which had not installed a cat door. Eventually, a police officer had to knock on the door, and a member of staff member granted Larry entry.
In 2019 Larry was present for one of the many Prime Ministerial resignations in recent UK politics: that of outgoing PM. Theresa May. Larry, who had positioned himself for a show-stealing moment, was escorted from the premises by a political staffer who wanted to avoid distracting the media.
Larry The Cat’s Political Enemies
Larry is an intimidating figure in British politics. Larry The Cat appeared multiple times during Boris Johnson’s eventful prime ministership and seemed to take a dim view of Jonhnson’s Brexit policies.
Jonson reflected that Larry was “a bit of a thug” and mauled his dog Dilyn, who made the mistake of trying to steal Larry’s food. “The reprisals were terrible,” Johnson reminisced. Dilyn wasn’t the only political pet who fell afoul of Larry. According to The Independent, Larry clashed with former Prime Minister and leader of the opposition Rishi Sunak’s labrador Nova and as reported by Sky News, he has been engaged in a bitter feud with former Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne’s Cat Freya, whom he was spotted brawling with outside Number 10 in 2012. Eventually, police officers intervened. Then Prime Minister David Cameron’s office said they would not be commenting.
Larry The Cat’s Background
Larry was adopted by David Cameron from Battersea Dogs & Cats Home in 2011. The four years of his life before that are shrouded in mystery.
Read More:
- Prince Harry’s ‘Spare’ Proves It’s Time To Become A Republic
- A Brief History Of Queen Elizabeth II And Her 89 Year Long Royal Clan Of Corgis
- The British Tabloid’s Sexist Take On Theresa May As British MP
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