Larry, the Top Cat: A Century-Old Tradition of Rat Hunting at 10 Downing Street

UK Prime Minister’s Chief Mouser
Larry the Cat
Marks 10 Years of Service

At the British Prime Minister’s Office, a position has been occupied for 100 years. No human can ever do the job to its stringent qualifications. This role, exclusively given to a cat, is the “Chief Mouser.”

The Prime Minister’s residence, which is over 300 years old, is often ravaged by rats and insects. As a result, since 1924, cats have been kept in residences to catch rats.

A budget has been allocated to maintain a cat in the residence and hold the official role of Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office. In June 1929, A. E. Banham, a bureaucrat in charge of the Prime Minister’s budget, noted that they decided to “keep a capable cat for a penny a day” to eliminate rats.

This cost increased to 1 shilling and 6 pennies per week in 1932, and a British daily newspaper reported in 2011 that it had risen to “up to 100 pounds a year.”

Several cats have served at the Prime Minister’s residence.

The cat that served the longest, from 1973 to 1986, was Wilberforce, who served four Prime Ministers: Edward Heath, Harold Wilson, James Callaghan, and Margaret Thatcher.

Currently, Larry has been in the position since the tenure of Prime Minister David Cameron in 2011. Larry is the first cat to be officially named Chief Mouser.

Larry’s duties are outlined in a description provided by the UK Prime Minister’s Office on their official website. These include welcoming visitors to the residence, evaluating the security measures in place, and assessing the napping potential of antique furniture. Additionally, part of his daily routine involves pondering strategies to address mice residing within the premises.