May 13, 2026, 3:15 p.m. ET
In a country where prime ministers seem to switch out every couple of years, a cat named Larry has remained a constant in the United Kingdom.
In February, the U.K.’s 19-year-old “chief mouser,” known as Larry the Cat, marked 15 years at the helm. The brown and white tabby has been the pet of six prime ministers in that time: David Cameron, Theresa May, Boris Johnson, Liz Truss, Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer, the U.K.’s current prime minister who might be the next out the door.
Calls have been growing for Starmer to resign after his Labour Party recently suffered one of its worst election defeats, Reuters reported.
But as leadership is a revolving door, one thing has remained steady: the furry, four-legged feline that rules 10 Downing Street, the home of British prime ministers since 1735, according to the U.K. government’s website.
Adopted from a London rescue, Battersea Dogs & Cats Home, Larry has been at Downing Street since Feb. 15, 2011. He’s the first cat at the historical residence to be bestowed the title of “chief mouser.”
Here’s everything to know about one of the world’s most famous cats.
Who is Larry the Cat?
Before moving to Downing Street, Larry was a London stray found without a microchip and taken to the rescue, a 2020 news release states. He’s not the first cat to call the government building home. Felines have occupied Downing Street and other London buildings since the 1800s.
Larry does not shy away from the limelight. He is often spotted by members of the press strolling outside the residence during key political moments.
In 2019, he was seen sheltering under President Donald Trump’s limo, the Beast. After a meeting between the two nations, the president, then-Prime Minister Theresa May and their spouses posed for a photo op with Larry in the background.
What’s Larry the Cat’s role at Downing Street?
According to the U.K. government website, Larry spends his days greeting guests to the house, inspecting security defenses and “testing antique furniture for napping quality.”
When not stealing the hearts of the world, he’s busy contemplating a solution to the mouse occupancy of the house, the website states, with a solution in the “tactical planning stage.”
Larry is free to roam the grounds as he pleases. Taxpayer dollars do not fund the cat’s life, Cameron said at a news conference announcing his arrival in 2011. Downing Street staff provide for his food and veterinary care. Staff members visited the rescue to discuss the animal’s rehoming before he moved to the residence.
Larry has a large fanbase. An unofficial X account that tracks him has over 800,000 followers.
Michelle Del Rey is a trending news reporter at USA TODAY. Reach her at mdelrey@usatoday.com.
