Larry, the Downing Street cat, who doesn’t understand why he always has to change masters

Larry is finishing his morning round, busy at the job for which he was hired at 10 Downing street: since 2011 he has been «Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office of the United Kingdom», that is, a rat chaser. In short, if the worst possible situation doesn’t come true – that a mouse darts between the legs of some powerful person – it is thanks to him. Yet it’s hard for Larry to stay focused: he took service at the British Prime Minister’s residence when he was there David Cameronthen continued with Theresa Maythen Boris Johnson, Liz Truss – a week or a little more – and now with Rishi Sunak. Five masters in 11 years.

Larry is a stray cat taken from the shelter of «Battersea Dogs & Cats Home» by the Downing Street staff for his «certified rat-hunting skills» and has repeatedly brought his preys into the hall of the residence. But the intent of the staff was also for Larry to become the Cameron family’s pet. And so it was, even though the Prime Minister has repeatedly complained of cat hair on his clothes.

When Cameron left Downing Street, Larry stayed, looked after by the staff, and became the symbol of the residence. The English love him, and send him presents and greetings. Unverified sources of Wikipedia even say that the cat’s fame has increased the adoption of stray cats, a correlation that is actually difficult to verify… Certainly Larry, who comes and goes from the door of the British Prime Minister with his phlegm, is a real mascot.

Naturally there is also a Downing Street page dedicated to the Chief Mouserwhich describes the daily duties of the cat. “Larry spends his days greeting guests, inspecting safety features, and testing the nap comfort of antique furniture. His daily responsibilities include studying a solution to the presence of mice in the house. Larry says he’s still in a ‘tactical planning phase’ right now.’ Rumors have spread that Larry lost a lot of game, and saw rats darting into offices without getting up, earning him the nickname “Lazy Larry.”

Larry is now a key presence at 10 Downing Street and has met many heads of state (his favourite, former US President Barak Obama). For this reason, when Prime Minister Cameron left his residence, he clarified that despite the affection Larry would not follow the family but as “public employee” would have stayed in place. How will you work under Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, how will your relationship be with his wife Murty and daughters Krishna and Anoushka? One thing is certain, Prime Ministers pass, Larry stays.