Last week was the 12th anniversary of the arrival of Larry the Cat to 10 Downing Street, the London residence and home office of the United Kingdom’s prime minister, where he was bestowed with the official title of “Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office.” He was brought to Downing Street in 2011, at the age of four, and tasked with controlling rats that had been seen at the residence. Though cats had been employed as chief mousers for centuries, Larry was the first to be given the official title. As a permanent resident, his term in office has overlapped with five prime ministers to date.
Larry the Cat’s 12 Years as Chief Mouser
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![A cat wearing a red-white-and-blue bow tie walks on a table.]()
Read moreLarry, the 10 Downing Street cat, walks on the cabinet table wearing a British Union Jack bow tie ahead of the Downing Street street party, in central London, on April 28, 2011. #
Ben Stansall / AFP / Getty -
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![A woman holds up a cat in front of David Cameron and Barack Obama.]()
Read moreBritish Prime Minister David Cameron introduces U.S. President Barack Obama to Larry on May 25, 2011. #
Pete Souza / The White House -
![Two photographers lie down in a street to take a close photograph of a cat.]()
Read moreLarry is photographed while sunning himself on Downing Street on July 10, 2019. #
Luke Dray / Getty -
![A cat runs away from a man who is leading down to pet it.]()
Read moreKazuo Okamoto, the chief executive of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Europe, tries to pet Larry on February 8, 2018, while at Downing Street to attend a roundtable for Japanese investors. #
Daniel Leal / AFP / Getty -
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![A close portrait of a cat]()
Read moreA close portrait of Larry, in Downing Street, photographed on September 9, 2020 #
Toby Melville / Reuters -
![A cat strikes a defensive posture as a security dog stands near it.]()
Read moreLarry the cat comes face-to-face with a police dog named Bailey during security checks outside the door of 10 Downing Street, on March 30, 2015. #
Justin Tallis / AFP / Getty -
![A cat lies on the ground in front of barriers, and a sign that reads "Press enclosure. All press to remain behind barriers."]()
Read moreLarry relaxes in the sunshine in the press enclosure at Downing Street on a warm day, July 16, 2014. #
Oli Scarff / Getty -
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![A London police officer kneels and strokes a cat.]()
Read moreA police officer strokes Larry the cat at Downing Street on July 8, 2022. #
Frank Augstein / AP -
![Media members crouch down to photograph Larry the cat in a street.]()
Read moreMedia members photograph Larry the cat outside 10 Downing Street on June 11, 2019. #
Peter Nicholls / Reuters -
![A series of three photographs show a police officer knocking on a door beside a cat, the door being opened—and the cat refusing to enter. Then the police officer gives the cat a nudge with his toe.]()
Read moreA series of images shows Larry being gently encouraged to enter an opened door to 10 Downing Street, before a photo-call involving British Prime Minister David Cameron and the BMW chairman Norbert Reithofer, on June 9, 2011. #
Carl Court / AFP / Getty -
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![A cat sits in a window seat, looking out.]()
Read moreLarry looks out a window at 10 Downing Street on February 15, 2011. #
Mark Large / Reuters -
![A cat chases a pigeon in a street.]()
Read moreLarry chases a pigeon on August 6, 2019, in London. #
Leon Neal / Getty -
![A cat sits in a window opening beside a person who holds a laptop on their lap.]()
Read moreLarry sits with press photographers as they work at Downing Street on December 9, 2020. #
Justin Tallis / AFP / Getty -
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![A cat scoots away from a group of school children.]()
Read moreSchoolchildren approach Larry the cat on August 30, 2019. #
Henry Nicholls / Reuters -
![A person leans down to pet a cat, and gets her hand clawed instead.]()
Read moreA visitor to Downing Street gets scratched as she tries to pet Larry, on July 21, 2019. #
Luke Dray / Getty -
![A cat rests on a stoop beside two people who stand and shake hands, posing for a photograph.]()
Read moreLarry looks on as British Prime Minister Liz Truss (center) and Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen pose for a photograph outside 10 Downing Street in central London on October 1, 2022. #
Justin Tallis / AFP / Getty -
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![A cat sits among purple flowers.]()
Read moreLarry the cat sits among spring blooms at Downing Street on April 19, 2022. #
Toby Melville / Reuters -
![A person carries a cat through a doorway.]()
Read moreLarry is carried into 10 Downing Street on May 24, 2019. #
Tolga Akmen / AFP / Getty -
![A cat is seen looking through a window.]()
Read moreLarry looks out from a ground-floor window on June 20, 2018. #
Toby Melville / Reuters -
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