Battersea Cats & Dogs home paid a visit to the Prime Minister’s ‘Chief Mouser’ Larry the cat, today.
Larry is a tabby cat who’s lived at 10 Downing Street since 2011 – he is cared for by Downing Street staff and is not the personal property of the Prime Minister.
However, he’s reached almost the same level of fame – someone even set up a Twitter account for him that’s racked up almost 835k followers.
In the video that’s been shared to Twitter for International Cat Day by the Department for Environmental Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), we see two members of the Battersea team knock on the door of number 10 and ask to see Larry.
In the video we see two members of the Battersea team knock on the door of number 10 and ask to see Larry
A microchip is a tiny device inserted under the skin of your pet which contains a unique code that links your pet to you through an online database
Larry is a tabby cat who’s lived at 10 Downing Street since 2011 – he is cared for by Downing Street staff and is not the personal property of the Prime Minister
The video has been shared to Twitter for International Cat Day by the Department for Environmental Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA)
A voice then says ‘excellent, come inside’ and we see the much-loved cat getting some fuss from the team.
‘Hi Larry, we’ve just come to check your details – are you up to date with your chip?’ they ask.
After checking that he’s microchipped and even giving him a cheeky treat, the team explain that the law is changing and from June 2024, all cats will need a microchip.
So cat owners, this is a reminder to take your furry friend to the vet before the law comes into place.
This is to help reunite more stray’s with their owners – Battersea successfully reunites hundreds of lost pets with their owners each year and it’s microchipping that makes it possible.
Rishi Sunak and his office’s official Twitter account @10DowningStreet, also shared the video, captioning it ‘An important reminder from Chief Mouser Larry on #InternationalCatDat @Battersea_
‘There are over 9 million pet cats in England, with as many as 2.3 million unchipped.
‘We’ve introduced new laws meaning all owners must have their cats microchipped from June 2024.
‘Make sure your cat is chipped, like Larry.’
Rishi Sunak and his office’s official Twitter account @10DowningStreet, also shared the video
The video was posted at 8am today and already has over 70k views, with Twitter users sharing their thoughts below
A microchip is a tiny device inserted under the skin of your pet which contains a unique code that links your pet to you through an online database.
It can be inserted by a vet, in a quick, painless procedure.
Then, if your cat gets lost and someone takes them to a rescue center or vet, they will simply scan your cat and identify you as it’s owner.
All cat owners will have until 10 June 2024 to get their cats chipped.
Cats must be implanted with a microchip before they reach the age of 20 weeks and their contact details stored and kept up to date in a pet microchip database.
Owners found not to have microchipped their cat will have 21 days to have one implanted, or could face a fine of up to £500.
On Twitter, one person said ‘Great pictures and extremely good news’ while another wrote ‘Meeting Larry was one of the highlights of my life @Number10cat’
CEO of Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, Peter Laurie, said:
‘Last year nearly two thirds of the cats that arrived at our centres weren’t microchipped.
‘Many of these cats were likely not strays, but much-loved pets that had simply wandered too far from home.
‘That’s why we’re so pleased to see the Government introducing this important legislation that, coupled with Larry’s valuable endorsement, will help ensure many more worried owners are reunited with their lost cats in future.’
The video was posted at 8am today and already has over 70k views, with Twitter users sharing their thoughts below.
One person said ‘Great pictures and extremely good news’ while another wrote ‘Meeting Larry was one of the highlights of my life @Number10cat.’
Someone else joked ‘The only capable worker in No10.’
Larry is thought to be 15 years old and has seen five Prime Ministers pass through the doors since his arrival in 2011.
Larry has reached almost the same level of fame of the Prime Minister – someone even set up a Twitter account for him that’s racked up almost 835k followers
As well as his internet personality, Larry is also known for his tussles with other animals
He was rescued from Battersea Cats & Dogs Home and was originally intended to be a pet for David and Samantha Cameron’s children.
According to the Downing Street website, Larry’s duties include: ‘greeting guests to the house, inspecting security defences and testing antique furniture for napping quality.
‘His day-to-day responsibilities also include contemplating a solution to the mouse occupancy of the house. Larry says this is still ‘in tactical planning stage’.
A parody Twitter account for Larry called @Number10Cat has amassed almost 835k followers – the account tweets satirical comments on the UK politics scene.
Today, the account tweeted ‘Today is International Cat Day. Expect all cats to strut around like we own the place, so the same as every day really.’
It has over 3000 likes and almost 4,000 retweets – more than the Prime Minister’s own tweet for International Cat Day.
As well as his internet personality, Larry is also known for his tussles with other animals.
In November last year he got into a scrap with a fox in front of the famous black Number 10 door.
The Chief Mouser fought the urban fox off until it retreated from Larry’s Downing Street territory.