The UK prime minister calls 10 Downing Street their home – but they’re not the only one

The 2024 general election is almost over, and with that, the potential of a brand new UK prime minister.

Living on Downing Street at Number 10, with the chancellor of the exchequer next door at 11, the two roles are at the heart of running the UK government regardless of who holds the position.

But they’re not the only ones to call Downing Street home.

Enter the world of Larry the Cat, who resides with Conservative PM Rishi Sunak and his family at No 10.

Whatever the outcome of today’s election, one big question remains.

What happens to Larry the Cat?

Larry was born back in January 2007, meaning he’s at the ripe of cat age of 17.

A stray who ended up being looked after by Battersea Dogs & Cats Home, Larry moved in to Number 10 back in 2011 as a pet for then Prime Minister David Cameron and his children.

Cameron famously quit as PM in 2016, though, after backing the Remain campaign in the EU referendum.

And while the Cameron family said arrivederci to Downing Street, Larry remained. He’s stayed there ever since, spending his days in the residence while it was occupied by Cameron, Theresa May, Boris Johnson, Liz Truss, and Sunak.

And while he might have lived with the five PMs, he hasn’t actually been owned by any prime minister. Instead, he is looked after by Downing Street staff who fund his lifestyle on a voluntary basis.

It means that should Starmer be the UK’s next prime minister, it will in fact be Larry who is welcoming the Labour leader in to his permanent residence rather than the other way around.

The life of Larry – including role as chief mouser

As ridiculous as it may sound, Downing Street describes Larry as having duties in Number 10. This includes ‘greeting guests to the house, inspecting security defences and testing antique furniture for napping quality’.

But it also gets a bit more serious for Larry, with him officially holding the title of Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office. This was granted to Larry back in April 2011 after making his first kill, taking out a mouse in the corridors of Number 10.

He’s also prone to showing off his mousing talents, making kills on the front of Number 10 for all of the world’s media to catch a glimpse.

The role of Chief Mouser was first coined back in 1997, but it is a role that felines have undertaken for hundreds of years. It goes as far back as 1515 and the reign of Henry VIII, with cats being a somewhat constant companion to the country’s leader for the hundreds of years that have come since then.