Larry the cat of 10 Downing Street is also a Cabinet Official who outlasted 3 Prime Ministers
Jul 25, 2019, 16:18 IST
- Larry, who is a 12-year-old UK government official lived at Number 10 Downstreet for more than the last three Prime Ministers.
- The eleven-year-old holds the position of Chief Mouser of the Cabinet Office.
- His job is so important that he is given his own doorman.
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UK's unstable political environment had one thing constant all through the Brexit deal ---Lazy Larry, the cat.The eleven-year-old cat holds the position of Chief Mouser of the Cabinet Office. His job is so important that he is given his own doorman. Hiring Larry is part of a culturally-rich UK's tradition that dates back to hundreds of years. Though cats have been a part of the government since Henry the VII, Larry became the first one to be given a title.
Larry has been working in the Number 10 Downing Street, the official residence of UK’s Prime Minister, for five years now. However, he is nicknamed Lazy Larry by the UK media as the obviously well-fed cat is not hunting for mice like it should.
Larry was officially hired to bring down the population of mice at the Prime Minister’s residence. Battersea Dogs and Cats Home recommended Cameron to hire Larry in 2011 owing to his mice catching abilities.
However, Larry’s appointment led to a lot of disappointment. Larry was so bad at his job that Cameron almost fired him in 2012 for not spotting the mouse or even lifting his paw when he saw one.
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The horse and hound loving country of Britain has been led by a surprisingly large number of cat lovers. The most illustrious of such is Winston Churchill. The World War II-era Prime Minister who is also a prolific writer had dedicated many essays to cats, but his favorite was one named Nelson.
Nelson, much unlike lazy Larry is known to have chased away a large dog, earning him and his master fame. “He is the bravest cat I ever knew,” Churchill is known to have said.