Power Broker Cat Larry at UK Prime Minister's Residence Marks 15th Anniversary of Official Appointment

Appointed "Chief Mouser" in 2011

Larry, the power broker cat at the British prime minister's residence, is marking the 15th anniversary of his official appointment as Chief Mouser.

Larry, the official mouser of the British prime minister's residence. AP Yonhap News

On the 15th (local time), AP and other foreign media reported that it has been 15 years since Larry, the Chief Mouser at the British prime minister's residence, arrived at 10 Downing Street. On February 15, 2011, Larry, who came from an animal shelter, first took up residence at the British prime minister's official home. At the time, then-Prime Minister David Cameron gave Larry the formal title of Chief Mouser and tasked him with catching rats to deal with a rodent infestation at the residence. However, judging from Larry's work performance, there have been almost no recorded instances of him catching rats since his appointment. His main achievement has been playing with mice.

Another major part of his job is taking naps and posing for photos with people. Thanks to this, he has monopolized the attention of photographers and his popularity has soared. As a result, Larry has managed to keep his title through no fewer than six changes of prime minister, establishing himself as the long-time resident of 10 Downing Street, the center of British political power.

In particular, during his tenure he has met heads of state from around the world. During U.S. President Donald Trump's visit in 2019, he was spotted taking shelter from the rain and napping under Trump's armored limousine, known as "The Beast." At the time, the Washington Post ran an article with the headline, "Larry casts a diplomatic shadow under Trump's limousine." Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was also seen smiling when he saw Larry.

Larry, the Chief Mouser at the British prime minister's residence. AP Yonhap News

Freelance photographer Justin Ng joked, "Larry is truly exceptional at photobombing," adding, "Everyone knows he will appear at precisely the moment when a foreign leader arrives and a meeting is about to begin." On the British government website, Larry's duties are described as "greeting guests, inspecting security, and conducting quality checks on antique furniture to see if it is suitable for napping."

AP reported that he had long been at odds with the Foreign Office's official cat and that, after current Prime Minister Keir Starmer brought in two pet cats, measures were taken so that Larry would remain only in the official working area of Downing Street. The report added, "Larry is now 18 to 19 years old and has slowed down, but he still patrols the area and sleeps on the windowsill above the radiator just inside the door of 10 Downing Street."

Philip Howell, a professor at the University of Cambridge, said, "Support for Larry the cat will remain high in the future," explaining, "Prime ministers have never managed to surpass his approval ratings."