Larry the cat, the long-serving “Chief Mouser” at 10 Downing Street, welcomes his seventh prime minister, as Andy Burnham takes over the role, replacing Keir Starmer. Sources say Larry moved into the prime minister’s residence on February 15, 2011, when David Cameron was leader. He was adopted from a London animal shelter after being found with an estimated age of about four years. Larry is recruited for rodent control and has continued in the role through multiple administrations. Reporting notes that he has lived through six prime ministers, from Cameron to Starmer, and has been present during major events in recent UK political history, including Brexit, the COVID-19 period and “partygate,” as well as the short tenure of Liz Truss. Sources also highlight Larry’s routine and public profile, including messages posted on his X account run by an anonymous user. The account describes Larry’s preferences for meals and includes occasional complaints and light political jabs, with mentions of Reform UK and U.S. President Donald Trump. Sources further note that Larry has shared the residence with the incoming family’s pets in recent years, though the presence of Burnham’s dog is described as unclear.
Larry the cat welcomes UK’s seventh prime minister at 10 Downing Street
Larry the cat, the long-serving “Chief Mouser” at 10 Downing Street, welcomes his seventh prime minister, as Andy Burnham takes over the role, replacing Keir Starmer. Sources say Larry moved into the...
- Larry the cat moves into 10 Downing Street on February 15, 2011, when David Cameron is prime minister.
- He serves as the residence’s chief mouser and has remained through multiple administrations.
- Larry welcomes incoming prime minister Andy Burnham, replacing Keir Starmer.
- His X account is run by an anonymous user and posts about his routines, including eating times and occasional complaints.
- Larry’s online posts sometimes include light remarks about politics, including references to Reform UK and Donald Trump.
Run by an anonymous user, Larry grumbles on X about getting caught in the rain and sometimes takes catty swipes, notably at Reform UK politicians and U.S. President Donald Trump.
12 hours agoLarry arrived at the prime minister's official residence on February 15, 2011, when David Cameron was leader
13 hours agoRecruited to deal with a rodent problem, Larry arrived at the prime minister's official residence on February 15, 2011, when David Cameron was leader.
16 hours agoLarry the cat, the UK’s most famous feline, on Monday welcomed his seventh housemate at 10 Downing Street since he began patrolling the corridors of power more than 15 years ago. “Politicians come and go; cats are permanent,” Larry’s X account @Number10cat posted, as the country’s chief mouser waited for incoming leader Andy Burnham to replace Keir Starmer. In instructions to his new employers, he wrote: “Larry likes his breakfast at 9, brunch at 1030 and lunch at noon with plenty of snacks in between. The rest of the job is a doddle.” Here are some things to know about the troubled office’s only purr-manent resident. Humble roots Recruited to deal with a rodent problem, Larry arrived at the prime minister’s official residence on February 15, 2011, when David Cameron was leader. He was adopted from a London animal shelter when he was believed to be about four years old. Since then, the white and tabby cat, officially introduced on Downing Street’s website as the “Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office”, has reigned supreme from the country’s most photographed doorstep. His official biography on the Downing Street website says apart from rodent control, “Larry spends his days greeting guests to the house, inspecting security defences and testing antique furniture for napping quality.” Larry the Cat walks in front of 10 Downing Street in central London on July 20, 2026, before Britain’s outgoing prime minister Keir Starmer makes a statement. —AFP Six prime ministers down He has lived through six prime ministers, from Cameron to Starmer, weathered the storms of Brexit, Covid-19, the chaos of “partygate” and Liz Truss’s 49‑day whirlwind occupation. Unlike some of Starmer’s cabinet, Larry is set to keep his job under Burnham. Nothing seems to ruffle his fur as this political veteran glides from crisis to crisis with feline calm and the lick of a paw. A media darling, Larry, who is now believed to be around 19, often steals the spotlight from visiting foreign leaders. In December, he was on the doorstep to greet the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Cat-fluencer A whiskered influencer, Larry’s X account is followed by more than 900,000 fans. Run by an anonymous user, Larry grumbles about getting caught in the rain and sometimes takes catty swipes, notably at Reform UK politicians and US President Donald Trump. Political satire artist Kaya Mar (L) holds up a painting with a caricature of Britain’s incoming Prime Minister Andy Burnham and ‘Larry the Cat’ near Downing Street in central London on July 20, 2026, ahead of Burnham’s arrival as the country’s new leader. —AFP His first months “in office” even inspired a book, The Larry Diaries, published in 2011. Larry dutifully shared the No. 10 residence with JoJo and Prince, the Starmer family cats, for the last two years. His next guest might be trickier, with UK media noting that the Burnham family has a dog. It is unclear whether the pooch will be moving in.
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