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Louise Thomas
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Downing Street’s Larry the cat now faces competition for his job as No 10’s chief mouser following the news that Sir Keir Starmer is bringing a new kitten home.
Sir Keir Starmer has let his children get the kitten after “a long summer of negotiations”, meaning Larry will welcome a long-awaited recruit.
The prime minister said he had come around to getting the new family pet after his children had pleaded with him to get a dog, he revealed in a BBC 5 Live interview with Matt Chorley.
The Siberian kitten will join Larry who has become something of a celebrity figure over the last decade, often appearing in the street amid important political moments.
The cat will be the third in Downing Street after Sir Keir and his family moved into No 10 when he became prime minister with their family rescue cat, named JoJo.
Asked what the reaction had been from Larry to the news of a second new addition to Downing Street’s feline population, Sir Keir revealed the problems of living with pets in the high-security environs of No 10.
“The problem we’ve got, which is the same for JoJo the cat, is that the only door out of our new flat is bomb-proof,” he said.
“Therefore, getting a cat flap in is proving a little bit difficult. But our daughters persuaded us that the problem isn’t any bigger for two cats than one. And therefore, we’re now getting this kitten.”
The PM made the revelation as he was asked for an update on claims he made during the election campaign that his children were lobbying him to get a German shepherd dog.
He replied: “Well, those negotiations have been going on. There’s been a long summer of negotiations, back and forth, different options.
“But now we’ve gone for – and this is an agreed after long negotiations, I said we’d get in the room and sort it out – we are now getting a kitten instead of a dog.”
He later added: “This is a Siberian kitten, which is being picked up today by my daughter and so that’s where it ended up.”
Social media users responded in great spirit to the news but expressed concern over whether Larry had been consulted on taking another feline under his wing.
One person wrote: “Hopefully @Number10cat will keep his role as chief mouse of the treasury... I don’t believe he’s given consent for a reshuffle...”
An account dedicated to Larry reacted to the news and affirmed: “The kitten will REPORT to Larry the Cat.”
The 17-year-old cat is thought to be in his final years, having already outlived the average lifespan for a tabby, and Downing Street officials have reportedly prepared a “media plan” to announce his eventual death.
Sarah Elliott, central veterinary officer for Cats Protection, said the charity was “pleased to hear there will be another feline voice in Downing Street”.
“As the junior member of the growing cat coalition at Downing Street, the prime minister and his family will need to take plenty of time to slowly introduce the new addition introduce the new addition to JoJo and Larry,” she said.
“The kitten will be joining a busy household, so they will also need to make sure they have lots of positive experiences around new people. Kittens are full of fun and mischief, all of which can be quite exhausting, so they need plenty of time to rest.”
Ms Elliott said Siberian kittens need to get used to grooming from an early age to ensure their long coats remain tangle-free and stressed the importance that JoJo gets microchipped.
She added: “Young kittens can be exhausting for older statesmen like Larry, so he’ll also need a safe, quiet area to retreat to when the energy of a younger member of the team gets a bit too much.”
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