Larry the Cat celebrates 12 years of service at No. 10 Downing Street : NPR

Larry the Cat celebrates 12 years of service at No. 10 Downing Street : NPR

Larry the Cat is witnessed in entrance of No. 10 Downing St. on July 5, 2022. He has now been on the job as Chief Mouser at the British primary minister’s official residence for a dozen several years.

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Larry the Cat is observed in entrance of No. 10 Downing St. on July 5, 2022. He has now been on the position as Chief Mouser at the British key minister’s official residence for a dozen decades.

Leon Neal/Getty Visuals

In an period of shaky political management, England’s most dutiful general public servant has achieved an vital milestone. Larry the Cat celebrated his 12th yr as Chief Mouser for No. 10 Downing St., the home and property workplace of Britain’s primary minister, on Wednesday.

“It can be has been a satisfaction to serve you all for these last 12 a long time,” Larry the Cat tweeted from the unofficial Twitter account for the feline. “If you are ever asked if you have a cat, but do not have the joy of just one at residence, know that you can respond to sure because I am yours and often will be.”

Larry’s enduring existence at No. 10 is in stark distinction to the 5 prime ministers who have taken office environment in the earlier 12 many years: David Cameron, Theresa May perhaps, Boris Johnson, Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak, whose term started in Oct.

His size of services also eclipses individuals of previous primary ministers Margaret Thatcher, Tony Blair, Winston Churchill and Benjamin Disraeli.

The Main Mouser’s tenure commenced on Feb. 15, 2011, soon following Television cameras caught footage of a rat outdoors the entrance of No. 10. The U.K. Cupboard, less than then-Primary Minister Cameron, rescued Larry from Battersea Dogs & Cats Dwelling and appointed him as Main Mouser.

“Larry spends his times greeting attendees to the house, inspecting protection defences and testing antique home furniture for napping quality,” Larry’s profile on the U.K. government website reads. “His day-to-working day obligations also consist of considering a alternative to the mouse occupancy of the home.”

But even Larry is no stranger to controversy. A mouse sighting in 2011 known as the integrity of his operate into issue and a visit to the vet in 2016 suggested his overall health could be deteriorating.

Nonetheless, a video of the cat chasing a fox away from the No. 10 4 months ago assuaged British citizens and signaled all was nicely.

As Larry cheekily tweeted back again in November: “I stay listed here forever, politicians are non permanent citizens.”