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As Larry the Downing Street cat marks 15 years on the job, insiders take us inside his life at No 10 – and his rather relaxed attitude to mouse-catching
Behind the world’s most famous front door, at 10 Downing Street, there is a strict hierarchy. The right to access all areas is reserved for a handpicked few: the prime minister, his closest aides and Larry, the Downing Street cat.
Larry, 19, is marking 15 years in post as chief mouser to the Cabinet Office, a period of longevity unmatched by any prime minister since the early 19th century.
Last week, he defied those who accuse him of low productivity by catching a mouse in the courtyard of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and devouring it on the grass next to No 10.
The cat, who was brought in by David Cameron in 2011, has outlasted five residents, and Westminster insiders suggest there is an even chance that he will see off a sixth.