Larry the Cat: The Real Master of 10 Downing Street and the History of the Chief Mouser

One Monday Morning, Downing Street

Camera flashes erupt. It is the morning of June 24, 2016, the day after the Brexit referendum results. Prime Minister David Cameron announces his resignation in front of the official residence. Journalists swarm, microphones line up, and the eyes of the world are fixed on 10 Downing Street, London. However, at that historic moment, someone else was caught on camera. On the steps of the residence's front door, a tabby-and-white cat was staring out at the reporters. It was one of the most chaotic political moments in British history, yet the cat seemed entirely unbothered. He even looked a bit bored. It was as if he was saying, "Another Prime Minister changing. How many has it been now?" That cat's name is Larry. His official title is Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office. And he is still living at 10 Downing Street, long after Cameron left, Theresa May came and went, Boris Johnson arrived loudly and was kicked out, and Liz Truss resigned after just 45 days. Prime ministers keep changing, but Larry remains.

Actually, This Story Didn't Start with Larry

Let us go back in time. Long before Larry, cats are believed to have first appeared at 10 Downing Street in the 1500s. Records from the era of Henry VIII show that a cat was employed to manage rats in the royal vaults. At the time, the cat was actually paid a salary of one penny per week. While that translates to very little in today's value, it was an official wage nonetheless. This tradition took on its modern form in the 20th century. In 1929, Larry's predecessor was officially appointed to Downing Street for the first time. His name was Peter—the first Peter. Should we call him Peter I? He began living at Downing Street during the tenure of Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald. But this is where the story gets interesting. Peter I had trouble performing his duties. He did not catch mice. He was completely indifferent to his official job of mousing. Eventually, a journalist exposed this fact, and Peter I was forced into retirement. He was the first official cat to refuse to catch mice—a civil servant cat fired for dereliction of duty. It remains one of the most absurd incidents in the history of the British government.

The Era of the Peters — Chaos and Drama

Following Peter I, Downing Street brought in a succession of cats named Peter. Peter II was a bit more diligent, serving several prime ministers including Churchill, Attlee, and Eden. He boasted a long tenure of 18 years, during which the prime minister changed four times. When news of Peter II's retirement broke, the British media covered it, and he spent the rest of his days in comfort at the home of a residence staff member. Peter III had a different kind of problem. He caught mice well, but he bit visitors. Records show he even bit a foreign diplomat visiting the prime minister's residence. It was a situation that nearly caused an international diplomatic incident. Peter III also eventually faced retirement. Then came a cat named Humphrey. Serving from 1989 to 1997, he saw Thatcher, Major, and Blair through their terms. Humphrey was a quite famous residence cat, but he suddenly vanished when Prime Minister Blair took office in 1997. The official announcement stated he retired due to health issues, but rumors circulated that Blair's wife, Cherie Blair, disliked cats and kicked him out. For several months after Humphrey's retirement, the British media went on a hunt to confirm whether he was still alive. Ultimately, the government had to release proof-of-life photographs showing Humphrey living healthily. The well-being of a single cat had become an issue on par with foreign policy.

And Then Came Larry

In February 2011, a cat was transferred to the Prime Minister's official residence from the Battersea Dogs & Cats Home in London. He was a four-year-old male tabby cat named Larry. He has no last name, though if one had to be given, it would be something like Larry of Downing Street. Little is known about Larry's life before he arrived at Battersea. He was a stray cat who entered the shelter in early 2011, and somewhere along the line, that little cat was selected as a candidate for Cameron's official residence. Larry's official appointment letter read: "Larry is appointed Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office, recognizing his significant hunting skills, gentle temperament, and media-friendly demeanor." A media-friendly demeanor. The fact that this was included as an official qualification speaks volumes about the nature of the role. It wasn't just about catching mice; it was about holding his own in front of the cameras. Larry was a star from the very beginning.

Larry's Scandal — The Chief Mouser Who Can't Catch Mice

From the early days of his appointment, Larry found himself at the center of controversy. The reason was that he simply did not catch mice. In 2011, a journalist captured and reported footage of a rat running around near Downing Street. This happened just months after Larry was appointed. The British media went wild, with headlines screaming that the Chief Mouser couldn't catch mice. Larry's defender, the official spokesperson for the Prime Minister's Office, stepped up, and an official statement was released. The British government issued an official statement regarding the job performance of a single cat. Could there be any situation more inherently British? The essence of the statement was this: "Larry is in a period of adjustment. His mousing skills are developing. Please watch over him." However, doubts persisted. Larry was rarely spotted actually catching mice. Instead, he was mostly captured lounging casually in front of cameras, approaching visitors to beg for scratches, or taking naps on the steps of the residence. The British media gave Larry new nicknames: "the most expensive mouser," "the icon of dereliction of duty," and, most affectionately, "the real master of Downing Street." Larry himself remained utterly indifferent to all this criticism, which is precisely what makes him so thoroughly a cat.

Prime Ministers Go, But Larry Remains — The Paradox of Power

Let us count how many British prime ministers have changed since Larry arrived at Downing Street. David Cameron: 2010–2016. Resigned in shock following the Brexit referendum results. He was the prime minister who appointed Larry. He brought Larry in, but Larry remained long after Cameron departed. Theresa May: 2016–2019. Eventually resigned amid the labyrinth of Brexit negotiations. During May's tenure, Larry was famous for his poor relationship and frequent fights with Palmerston, the Foreign Office cat. Their brawls were heavily reported in the media. Boris Johnson: 2019–2022. Resigned due to the Partygate scandal. There were many stories about Larry's relationship with Johnson. People even seriously debated whether Larry was present when Johnson held parties at the residence. Liz Truss: September–October 2022. The shortest-serving prime minister in British history, with a tenure of just 45 days. While Truss assumed office and resigned, absolutely nothing changed for Larry. Rishi Sunak: 2022–2024. And even after the current British Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, Larry continues to hold his ground. Larry has witnessed it all: historic resignation announcements, late-night crises, the chaos of Brexit, the fear of the pandemic, and the Partygate scandal. He was a witness to all of it. No matter what storm raged, Larry stood on the Downing Street steps, narrowing his eyes at the cameras. This is what transformed Larry from a mere residence cat into a political icon.

Larry Has a Social Media Account

In modern politics, Larry's most powerful weapon is social media. Larry has an unofficial Twitter (now X) account, @Number10cat (https://x.com/Number10cat). As of May 16, 2026, he has 884K followers. Larry's account shares the daily life inside the residence from a feline perspective—stories about disrupting the prime minister's meetings, ignoring visitors, or napping through important conferences. Of course, Larry does not actually run the account himself; it is managed by someone among the residence staff. However, the tone is strictly written from Larry's viewpoint: arrogant, indifferent, and occasionally featuring sharp political commentary. One of his most famous tweets was posted on the day Boris Johnson resigned from the prime ministership: "Another one moving in, another one moving out. I'm just staying here." This tweet from Larry gained hundreds of thousands of retweets. Amid the chaos of British politics, Larry's social media strangely became a space of reassurance. The simple, unchanging fact that Larry remains no matter how many times the prime minister changes provided a small comfort in a chaotic world.

It's Not Just Larry — The Cats of the British Government

The British government's love for cats does not stop at Downing Street. The Foreign Office also had an official cat named Palmerston—named after Lord Palmerston, the legendary 19th-century British diplomat. Palmerston guarded the Foreign Office until 2020. When staff began working from home due to the pandemic, serious discussions actually took place regarding whether staff should commute just to care for Palmerston, who was left behind. HM Treasury had a cat named Freya. Freya was originally the pet of Prime Minister Cameron before being transferred to the Treasury. A Treasury cat—doesn't that name alone seem to imply something? There are even rumors that GCHQ, the British intelligence agency, had a cat. However, no information about this cat has been made public. An intelligence agency cat must naturally remain classified. The tradition of official government cats is quite widespread across British institutions. This is not just humor or a PR strategy. It is a strange yet genuine cohabitation of cats and the British bureaucracy, built up over hundreds of years.

What Larry Teaches Us

Looking at Larry makes one think about politics. Prime ministers come and go. Policies change. Scandals erupt, resignations are announced, elections are held, and new faces enter through that famous black door. Yet Larry still remains. This is not simply due to the longevity of a cat. Larry has become a living symbol showing that the space of Downing Street itself is larger than any single individual. The position of prime minister is massive but temporary, while the cat guards that spot for much longer. This is why the British public loves Larry. No matter how chaotic politics get, no matter how democracy is tested, and no matter what national crisis strikes, Larry sits on the Downing Street steps with an indifferent face. Paradoxically, that indifference brings comfort. The knowledge that there is at least one thing that doesn't change even when the world changes. That there is at least one thing that won't be kicked out no matter who becomes prime minister. That there is at least one entity at the center of power that is completely indifferent to power. Does Larry know how much laughter and comfort he brings to so many people? He probably doesn't. After all, a cat is just a cat. And that is precisely the reason why Larry is Larry.