Larry the 'Chief Mouser' Welcomes New Occupant to 10 Downing Street

Larry, the most famous resident of 10 Downing Street, has once again welcomed a new British leader. The cat, who serves as the Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office, will now live with his seventh prime minister since beginning his tenure more than 15 years ago. Through his official X account, @Number10cat, Larry greeted the transition of leadership from Keir Starmer to Andy Burnham with his characteristic style. ‘Politicians come and go, but cats are permanent,’ the account posted on Monday (21/7/2026). In a humorous post, Larry also gave ‘instructions’ to the new resident of Downing Street. ‘Larry likes breakfast at 9am, brunch at 10.30am, lunch at 12pm, with plenty of snacks in between. Other than that, the job is easy,’ the account stated. Larry arrived at Downing Street on 15 February 2011 when David Cameron was prime minister. He was adopted from a London animal shelter at an estimated age of four to help tackle a rodent problem at the prime minister’s official residence. Since then, the white and grey tabby has become one of the most recognisable residents in Britain. On the official Downing Street website, Larry is introduced as the Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office. In addition to rodent control, his official biography states that he spends his days greeting state guests, inspecting security systems, and testing antique furniture for napping quality. During his service, Larry has seen six prime ministers come and go, from David Cameron, Theresa May, Boris Johnson, Liz Truss, and Rishi Sunak, to Keir Starmer. He has also been a witness to major events in Britain, from Brexit and the Covid-19 pandemic to the Partygate scandal. Unlike ministers who change with each government, Larry is confirmed to retain his post under Prime Minister Andy Burnham. Now estimated to be around 19 years old, Larry frequently captures international media attention. Last December, for instance, he was in the spotlight when he greeted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the door of Downing Street. Larry’s popularity has also spread on social media. The anonymously managed X account @Number10cat has more than 900,000 followers and regularly posts satirical commentary on British politics and international affairs. For the past two years, Larry has shared the residence with Keir Starmer’s two cats, JoJo and Prince. British media are now highlighting a potential new challenge, as Andy Burnham’s family is known to have a dog, though it has not been confirmed whether the pet will also move into Downing Street.