Larry

Larry (born ) is a British domestic tabby cat who has served as Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office at 10 Downing Street since 2011. He is cared for by Downing Street staff and is not the personal property of the prime minister of the United Kingdom. Larry has served during the premierships of five prime ministers: David Cameron, Theresa May, Boris Johnson, Liz Truss, and Rishi Sunak. Early life Larry was born as a stray cat around January 2007 and later came into the possession of the Battersea Dogs & Cats Home. In 2011, he was adopted by Downing Street staff and was initially intended to be a pet for Cameron’s children. He was described by Downing Street sources as a "good ratter" and as having "a high chase-drive and hunting instinct". In 2012, Battersea Dogs & Cats Home said that Larry's publicity had resulted in a 15 percent surge of people adopting cats. Soon after he was taken in at Downing Street, a story circulated in the press purporting that Larry was a lost cat and that the original owner had begun a campaign to retrieve him. However, the story was later found to be a hoax and no such owner nor campaign existed.