Mathew
15-02-2011, 09:39 PM
Larry the cat is installed as Downing Street Chief Mouser.
The latest holder of the post of Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office was installed when Larry the cat moved into No 10.
David Cameron gave a warm welcome to the four-year-old moggy – who promptly fell asleep on a sofa rather than getting to work tackling the rat infestation which has plagued Downing Street in recent weeks.
Larry came highly recommended as a ratter by the Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, where he lived after being found as a stray, because of his alert temperament and fondness for playing with toy mice.
After being delivered in a van by staff from the rescue centre, the Prime Minister issued an official greeting, saying: "I'm delighted to welcome Larry to his new home.
"I'm sure he will be a great addition to Downing Street and will charm our many visitors."
Larry was recruited to tackle the rat problem amid lobbying from Mr Cameron’s young children – much to the annoyance of some No 10 officials.
When rodents were first spotted by television cameras a few weeks ago, Downing Street firmly rejected calls for a cat to be brought in. However, Mr Cameron’s spokesman later admitted defeat, saying: “There was a group of people in Downing Street who though it was a jolly good idea. They have won.”
It is understood that Nancy Cameron, six, and her four-year-old brother Elwen were instrumental in persuading the Prime Minister to perform a U-turn on rodent issues after a group of staffers volunteered to help pick out a cat and care for it at No 10.
Unlike previous incumbents, Larry will not be a drain the taxpayer, with civil servants also offering to pay for his upkeep.
It is has been left to the cat to decide whether to sleep in the Cameron family quarters above No 11 or to prowl the corridors of No 10, although there is apparently “talk of a cat flap” for the front door of the residence.
The spokesman said that Mr Cameron had been introduced to Larry, and spent time petting him in the Downing Street study.
He went on: “Larry seems quite easy going and relaxed. He has spent most of his time in one room since his arrival, acclimatising.
“The Prime Minister has been with the cat, he’s held the cat, they seem to get on, but it’s early days in the relationship.”
A spokesman for Ed Miliband, the Labour leader, said: “We’re going to buy a dog; a terrier. We’ll show those rats who’s boss.”
Larry is only the latest in a long line of Government mousers, with the first cat appointed to guard the Treasury during the reign of Henry VIII.
After 1929, the post even attracted a salary – rising from 1d to £100 before civil servants took over responsibility for paying for food and veterinary bills.
The most famous official mouser was Humphrey: adopted as a stray during Baroness Thatcher’s last year in office and named for Sir Humphrey Appleby, the Yes Minister civil servant, he was pensioned off in 1997 amid reports that Tony Blair’s wife Cherie was not fond of cats.
In a damage limitation exercise, Mrs Blair posed with a sedated Humphrey, but he was quietly retired to the countryside a few months later.
Larry’s immediate predecessor was Sybil, who belonged to Alistair Darling’s wife Maggie and moved from Edinburgh into No 11 when he became chancellor in 2007, but returned to Scotland after failing to settle.
The longest serving Chief Mouser was Wilberforce, who stalked Downing Street from 1970 and 1988 serving four prime ministers, while the war era No 10 cat was the bizarrely named Munich Mouser.
Downing Street has expressed confidence in Larry’s potential as a rat catcher but experts suggested the Camerons may first need to teach to their new cat to hunt.
While most felines are comfortable catching mice, due to their size most farmers choose terrier dogs rather than cats to dispatch rats.
Among the best breeds for cats willing to take on the rat challenge are domestic short hairs like Larry.
Experts suggested that the Camerons should help him practice with a toy mouse on a string, playing games of catch and tug of war with their cat.
They should ensure that Larry is not overfed, but isn’t hungry either – he will need all his energy to cope with a vicious rat.
If he does catch a mouse or rat, he should be rewarded with lots of strokes and a few cat treats.
But there is one further word of warning for the occupants of No 10: rather than eating their prey, cats have a tendency to leave their victims around the house as “gifts” – which might be less than pleasant for squeamish ministers.
Source and cute pictures here -> http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/conservative/8326293/Larry-the-cat-is-installed-as-Downing-Street-Chief-Mouser.html
This is soooooooooo cute :P
The latest holder of the post of Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office was installed when Larry the cat moved into No 10.
David Cameron gave a warm welcome to the four-year-old moggy – who promptly fell asleep on a sofa rather than getting to work tackling the rat infestation which has plagued Downing Street in recent weeks.
Larry came highly recommended as a ratter by the Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, where he lived after being found as a stray, because of his alert temperament and fondness for playing with toy mice.
After being delivered in a van by staff from the rescue centre, the Prime Minister issued an official greeting, saying: "I'm delighted to welcome Larry to his new home.
"I'm sure he will be a great addition to Downing Street and will charm our many visitors."
Larry was recruited to tackle the rat problem amid lobbying from Mr Cameron’s young children – much to the annoyance of some No 10 officials.
When rodents were first spotted by television cameras a few weeks ago, Downing Street firmly rejected calls for a cat to be brought in. However, Mr Cameron’s spokesman later admitted defeat, saying: “There was a group of people in Downing Street who though it was a jolly good idea. They have won.”
It is understood that Nancy Cameron, six, and her four-year-old brother Elwen were instrumental in persuading the Prime Minister to perform a U-turn on rodent issues after a group of staffers volunteered to help pick out a cat and care for it at No 10.
Unlike previous incumbents, Larry will not be a drain the taxpayer, with civil servants also offering to pay for his upkeep.
It is has been left to the cat to decide whether to sleep in the Cameron family quarters above No 11 or to prowl the corridors of No 10, although there is apparently “talk of a cat flap” for the front door of the residence.
The spokesman said that Mr Cameron had been introduced to Larry, and spent time petting him in the Downing Street study.
He went on: “Larry seems quite easy going and relaxed. He has spent most of his time in one room since his arrival, acclimatising.
“The Prime Minister has been with the cat, he’s held the cat, they seem to get on, but it’s early days in the relationship.”
A spokesman for Ed Miliband, the Labour leader, said: “We’re going to buy a dog; a terrier. We’ll show those rats who’s boss.”
Larry is only the latest in a long line of Government mousers, with the first cat appointed to guard the Treasury during the reign of Henry VIII.
After 1929, the post even attracted a salary – rising from 1d to £100 before civil servants took over responsibility for paying for food and veterinary bills.
The most famous official mouser was Humphrey: adopted as a stray during Baroness Thatcher’s last year in office and named for Sir Humphrey Appleby, the Yes Minister civil servant, he was pensioned off in 1997 amid reports that Tony Blair’s wife Cherie was not fond of cats.
In a damage limitation exercise, Mrs Blair posed with a sedated Humphrey, but he was quietly retired to the countryside a few months later.
Larry’s immediate predecessor was Sybil, who belonged to Alistair Darling’s wife Maggie and moved from Edinburgh into No 11 when he became chancellor in 2007, but returned to Scotland after failing to settle.
The longest serving Chief Mouser was Wilberforce, who stalked Downing Street from 1970 and 1988 serving four prime ministers, while the war era No 10 cat was the bizarrely named Munich Mouser.
Downing Street has expressed confidence in Larry’s potential as a rat catcher but experts suggested the Camerons may first need to teach to their new cat to hunt.
While most felines are comfortable catching mice, due to their size most farmers choose terrier dogs rather than cats to dispatch rats.
Among the best breeds for cats willing to take on the rat challenge are domestic short hairs like Larry.
Experts suggested that the Camerons should help him practice with a toy mouse on a string, playing games of catch and tug of war with their cat.
They should ensure that Larry is not overfed, but isn’t hungry either – he will need all his energy to cope with a vicious rat.
If he does catch a mouse or rat, he should be rewarded with lots of strokes and a few cat treats.
But there is one further word of warning for the occupants of No 10: rather than eating their prey, cats have a tendency to leave their victims around the house as “gifts” – which might be less than pleasant for squeamish ministers.
Source and cute pictures here -> http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/conservative/8326293/Larry-the-cat-is-installed-as-Downing-Street-Chief-Mouser.html
This is soooooooooo cute :P