The China Mail - Paw patrol: Larry the cat marks 15 years at 10 Downing Street

Here are four things to know about the purr-fect puss who over the years has charmed his way into the hearts of some of the world's top politicians.

- Humble roots -

Recruited to deal with a rodent problem, Larry arrived at the prime minister's official residence on February 15, 2011.

He was adopted from the renowned London animal shelter, Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, when he was believed to be about four years old. David Cameron was prime minister at the time.

Since then, the white and tabby cat, officially introduced on Downing Street's website as the "Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office", has reigned supreme from the country's most photographed doorstep.

His official biography on the Downing Street website says apart from rodent control: "Larry spends his days greeting guests to the house, inspecting security defences and testing antique furniture for napping quality."

- Six prime ministers -

He has lived through six prime ministers, from Cameron to Keir Starmer, weathered the storms of Brexit, Covid-19, the chaos of "partygate," Liz Truss's 49‑day whirlwind occupation, and the more orderly months under Rishi Sunak.

Nothing seems to ruffle his fur as this political veteran glides from crisis to crisis with feline calm, and the lick of a paw.

A media darling, Larry, who is now believed to be around 19, often steals the spotlight from visiting foreign leaders.

In December, he was on the doorstep to greet the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

In January, he even sent a photographer stumbling on the red carpet after darting unexpectedly between his legs during a visit by Poland's president.

- Cat-fluencer -

A whiskered influencer, Larry also boasts an X account @Number10cat followed by more than 877,500 fans.

Run by an anonymous user, Larry grumbles about getting caught in the rain and sometimes takes catty swipes at politicians, notably UK Reform and the administration of US President Donald Trump.

His first months "in office" even inspired a book, "The Larry Diaries", published in 2011.

Larry now shares the No. 10 residence with JoJo and Prince, the Starmer family cats.

Prince, a Siberian, joined the household in 2024 after "negotiations" with Starmer's children -- who had wanted a German Shepherd dog.

But there was a problem: "the only door out of our new flat is bomb proof," Starmer told the BBC in 2024. "Therefore, getting a cat flap is proving a little bit difficult."

Larry's fans can relax though: he is considered a permanent civil servant, which means he gets to stay at Downing Street for good. Unlike prime ministers.

- Famous felines -

Larry is not alone in being a feline companion to politicians.

On Saturday came sad news that Palmerston, a black-and-white cat, once mouser to the Foreign Office and "Diplocat extraordinaire", had passed away in Bermuda where he retired in 2020.

"Farewell old friend x," Larry posted on his X account, brushing aside rumours of rivalry between the pair.

Under former US president Bill Clinton, the black-and-white cat Socks took up residence in the White House from 1993 to 2001.

Once a stray, Socks became the star of several books and was often featured by the UK cartoonist Steve Bell in his daily comic strips.

And in Belgium, a rescue cat named Maximus has shot to social media stardom as the bewhiskered sidekick and PR weapon of Prime Minister Bart De Wever.

V.Fan--ThChM