If you were worried about the fate of the United Kingdom’s most famous feline, you can breathe a sigh of relief because Larry the Cat is alive and well. As reported by LADbible, reports claiming that the 19-year-old tabby had passed away on the night of Saturday, August 21, were completely false. It turns out the Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office is still patrolling the halls of Downing Street and continuing his service under his seventh Prime Minister, Andy Burnham.
The confusion started when a news aggregator account on X, known as Politics UK, shared the incorrect report about Larry’s death. This led to a wave of online condolences from people who clearly hold the mouser in high regard. It didn’t take long for the account to realize their mistake, explaining that the post had been based on false information from a source that had been hacked. They closed with a simple correction: “Larry is still alive and well!”
Larry, clearly unfazed by the internet drama, decided to chime in on his own official X account. He quoted the apology from Politics UK with a perfect, witty response: “Reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated…” It is the kind of cool, collected energy we have come to expect from the resident cat who has seen more political turnover than almost anyone else in the building.
This isn’t the first time obituaries for Larry have arrived early
In 2023, The Sun claimed that Downing Street staff were bracing for his passing due to poor health, with one Westminster source stating, “No one wants to think the worst, but unfortunately we must prepare for it.” A Downing Street spokesperson quickly shut that down by telling ITV News, “I would say he is happy and healthy.”
Larry himself joined in on the fun back then too, posting, “I’m healthy, but you try being happy after living with five Tory Prime Ministers.” Other viral misidentifications have made headlines this year too, including a fake obituary discovery by an Oregon resident who found their own name and photo attached to a death listing online.
Even in 2024, reports surfaced in the Times suggesting that officials had already prepared a media plan, including graphics and a press release, for the day he eventually passes. It seems those documents are just gathering dust, as Larry is still very much active in his role.
He has been a constant presence at No.10 since he was adopted from the Battersea Dogs & Cats Home in 2011. Initially brought in as a pet for David Cameron’s children, he quickly proved his worth as an elite hunter.
His tenure is truly impressive. Larry has stayed put through the terms of seven Prime Ministers, including David Cameron, Theresa May, Boris Johnson, Liz Truss, Rishi Sunak, Sir Keir Starmer, and now Andy Burnham. In fact, he was even spotted on camera with a rodent in his jaws as recently as July 21, the day after Burnham officially took charge.
The government website officially describes his duties as “greeting guests to the house, inspecting security defences,” along with testing antique furniture for napping quality and keeping watch over the building’s mouse population. Other unexpected viral health claims have circulated recently too, including a TikToker’s joking claim that his houseplants had made him sick.
While the role of Chief Mouser has been around in various forms for centuries, dating back to the reign of Henry VIII when Cardinal Thomas Wolsey kept a cat by his side, Larry is the first to hold the title officially. Official records from the Treasury indicate that as far back as 1929, there was an authorization to spend a small amount of petty cash for the maintenance of an “efficient cat.”
Over the decades, cats like Peter III served for over 16 years, but Larry is currently setting a new standard for longevity and public fame. For now, the mice and pigeons of Downing Street still have a reason to stay on their toes.
Published: Aug 23, 2026 12:15 pm