On the week of his 15th work-versary, get to know Larry the chief mouser at the UK Prime Minister’s 10 Downing Street, and other felines who are following his paw-steps
Larry. PICS COURTESY/NUMBER10cat on X
Who is Larry?
>> Age and breed: 19-year-old domestic shorthair
>> Official designation: Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office at 10 Downing Street
Larry meets US President Barack Obama in 2011
>> How he got the job: Adopted from the Battersea Dogs & Cats Home in 2011 by then Prime Minister David Cameron to battle a rodent problem. Rose to media darling status for keeping the press entertained by photo-bombing high-profile events.
>> Prime Ministers during his tenure: David Cameron, Theresa May, Boris Johnson, Liz Truss, Rishi Sunak, Keir Starmer (current)
Career highlights
>> Received a gift from the White House during Barack Obama’s 2011 visit. Former UK PM Cameron later revealed Larry generally dislikes men, but loved Obama.
>> Guarded the famous black door ahead of Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s wartime UK visit in 2025.
>> Staged a sit-in under The Beast, the armoured vehicle of US President Donald Trump, during his 2019 visit.
Cat-fluencers speak
Keen to pole-vault your pet into social media fame? Meet Mumbai-based couple Hitesh and Manisha Sharma, who are parents to cat-fluencer Plowy (1.1 lakh followers on Instagram). Adopted at 57 days old, Plowy is now seven. The Sharmas share their learnings:
Plowy in a Marathi Mulgi look. PICS COURTESY/MANISHA SHARMA
>> Focus on aspects that you and your pet have already aced. Your strong point could be something as simple as wellness tips. Don’t fake it; the audience can tell.
>> Engage regularly with your audience via stories, posts, videos, and lives. They will start connecting with you and your pet will become a part of their life.
>> Pick up trending topics related to your content, like cat hair fall, cat vaccination once a week.
Hitesh and Manisha Sharma with Plowy
>> Find your pet’s personality. Plowy loves dressing up and traveling. Our audience is very clear about what kind of content they will get to see on our page.
>> Do not force your pet into doing something they don’t feel like. Sometimes, a 30-second video can take three days to shoot.
>> Give your pets their full quota of beauty sleep, and get blood work done routinely.
>> Know when to stop and take a step back. Not all pets are camera-friendly.
Catch me if you can
Nala, @nala_cat, 4.4 million followers: Guinness World Record holder for being the most followed cat on Instagram.
Coby, @cobythecat, 1.7 million followers: Striking blue-eyed feline model with a massive fashion following.
Suki, @sukiicat, 1.6 million followers: Travelling Bengal cat famous for her trips to mountains, lakes, and forests.
Lil Bub, @iamlilbub, 2.4 million followers: Special-needs cat who won hearts online with her unique tongue-out smile.
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