Larry, the Cat Who 'Welcomed' Prabowo in the UK, Marks Exactly 15 Years of Service Today
London - Larry the cat, Britain’s most famous feline, is celebrating 15 years of “service” as the nation’s chief mouser, patrolling the corridors of power around Number 10 Downing Street. The cat is considered a permanent civil servant at the British Prime Minister’s official residence, meaning he is never evicted no matter how many PMs come and go.
As reported by AFP on Sunday (2/15/2026), Larry was recruited to deal with a mouse problem. He arrived at the British PM’s official residence on February 15, 2011, adopted from London’s famous animal shelter, Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, when he was estimated to be around 4 years old. David Cameron was the British Prime Minister at the time.
Since then, this white and tabby cat, officially introduced on the Downing Street website as the “Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office,” has held court from the most photographed doorstep in the country.
His official biography on the Downing Street website states that beyond mouse control duties, “Larry spends his days greeting guests to the house, inspecting security defenses, and testing antique furniture for napping quality.”
He has outlasted six prime ministers — from Cameron to Keir Starmer — weathering the storms of Brexit, COVID-19, the “partygate” chaos, Liz Truss’s lightning 49-day tenure, and the more orderly months under Rishi Sunak. Nothing seems to disturb his composure as veteran politicians glide from crisis to crisis with typical feline calm — and, of course, the occasional lick and scratch.
As a media darling in Britain, Larry, now believed to be around 19 years old, often steals the spotlight from visiting foreign leaders. Last December, he was at the door to welcome Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. In January 2026, he even tripped a photographer on the red carpet after suddenly darting between their legs during the Polish president’s visit.
Larry has also shared several moments with President Prabowo Subianto. In November 2024, Prabowo, who was on a working visit to London, posted a moment of himself stroking Larry’s head and belly at the British PM’s residence.
“Meeting Larry the cat at 10 Downing Street. London, United Kingdom,” Prabowo wrote at the time.
Larry also appeared when Prabowo met British PM Keir Starmer on Tuesday (1/20/2026). Prabowo was welcomed by Starmer at the gate of his official residence.
As the two chatted, Larry was seen walking as if to greet Prabowo. Starmer, who was talking with Prabowo, immediately pointed to Larry. Prabowo then smiled as Larry passed by.
Larry now lives at the PM’s residence alongside JoJo and Prince, the Starmer family’s cats. Prince, a Siberian cat, joined the family in 2024 after “negotiations” with the Starmer children, who had wanted a German Shepherd.
Larry’s fans can rest easy knowing he is considered a permanent civil servant, meaning he will stay at Downing Street forever — unlike prime ministers.
Larry is not the only cat to befriend politicians. On Saturday, sad news came that Palmerston, a black-and-white cat who once served as the mouser for the Foreign Office and was an “extraordinary Diplomatic Cat,” had passed away in Bermuda, where he retired in 2020.
“Goodbye old friend x,” Larry wrote on his X account, seemingly dismissing rumors of rivalry between the two.
Under former US President Bill Clinton, the black-and-white cat Socks lived in the White House from 1993 to 2001. And in Belgium, a rescue cat named Maximus has become a social media star as the bearded companion and PR weapon of Prime Minister Bart De Wever.
In Indonesia, there is Bobby, Prabowo’s pet cat. Bobby moved with Prabowo from his residence on Jalan Kertanegara, South Jakarta, to the Presidential Palace when Prabowo officially took office as President in 2024.