Look: Meet the cat who greets world leaders at 10 Downing Street

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As the UK Prime Minister’s office prepared for US President Joe Biden’s arrival on Monday, a furry creature was brought in from the front step. Image Credit: AP

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Before the president's arrival at the famous black door, the famous cat was removed from his favourite spot by a member of the Downing Street team. Who is he? Image Credit: Reuters

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Meet the cat who greets world leaders: Larry the cat, a four-legged resident of London's 10 Downing Street, has been Britain's mouse-catcher in chief for more than a decade. Image Credit: AFP

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The tabby cat was recruited by then-Prime Minister David Cameron to deal with a pack of rats seen scuttling close to the British leader’s official residence, and entered Downing Street on Feb. 15, 2011. Image Credit: @Number10cat/Twitter

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The former stray, adopted from London’s Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, was given the title Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office, an unofficial pest control post. He was the first cat to hold the rat-catching portfolio since the retirement of Humphrey in 1997, and has loyally served three prime ministers. Image Credit: AFP

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Larry, who has met a number of world leaders, has been largely unfriendly to men but took a liking to former US President Barack Obama. When former President Donald Trump visited in 2019, Larry took a nap under his car. Image Credit: Reuters

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His grip on the public imagination is clear — and political leaders know better than to ignore that popularity. The tomcat was a sentimental topic of conversation in Cameron’s final appearance in Parliament as prime minister when he said he wanted to quash a rumor that — perish the thought — he didn’t like Larry. And just to prove it, he whipped out evidence: a picture of Larry lying on his lap. Image Credit: Reuters

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After the December 2019 election, rumors swirled that Larry might be headed for retirement with the news that the new prime minister, Boris Johnson, was a dog man. However, despite the prime minister moving Jack Russell cross Dilyn into Downing Street, Larry remained in office. Image Credit: AFP

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Reports of his rodent-killing abilities vary. Larry became known for his occasional scraps with neighboring cats -- especially Palmerston, chief mouser to the Foreign Office across the street -- and fondness for sleep. Palmerston has retired to the country, so things have been a bit quieter of late. Image Credit: AFP

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These days Larry is often seen by photographers patrolling his turf. Visitors to the building can sometimes find him napping on a ledge above a radiator or sleeping on a floor, where dignitaries occasionally have to step over him. At the heart of government, he specializes in power naps. Image Credit: AFP file

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Look: Meet the cat who greets world leaders at 10 Downing Street

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Look: Meet the cat who greets world leaders at 10 Downing Street

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