Larry the cat back at No 10 and 'doing well' after 'minor operation

Larry the Downing Street cat is back on patrol and doing well after recovering from a minor health scare that required veterinary intervention, according to official reports. The Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office underwent a minor operation to have a cyst removed. Downing Street sources reported that the feline veteran is recovering at home, back to roaming the corridors of power following the procedure.

The Chief Mouser was recently spotted in a cat carrier, sparking initial concern among political insiders before LBC confirmed his return to active duty. Downing Street sources stated that the operation successfully removed a cyst, leaving the resident puss with shaved fur and a scar on his midsection. A Downing Street source stated via Yahoo News and LBC:

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"Larry is doing well and is already back to roaming the building. He is feline much better but taking things one paw at a time. We are grateful to the vets for their outstanding care."

Downing Street source, via Yahoo News and LBC

Known affectionately across Westminster, Larry has weathered the terms of multiple prime ministers and international dignitaries since arriving at the historic address. The post of Chief Mouser dates back to the 1920s, with even earlier historical records of cats in government residences dating back to the era of Henry VIII. Larry was found as a stray on the streets of Wandsworth, south London, and taken in by Battersea Dogs and Cats Home before being adopted by Number Downing Street.

Staff at Battersea described Larry as a bruiser, and as well as catching mice, he has been known to get into scraps with other Whitehall cats, pigeons, and foxes over the years. Former chancellor George Osborne's cat Freya also fought with Larry when she lived at Downing Street, although the two were largely said to have coexisted peacefully. Former prime minister Sir Keir Starmer stated that he initially had to keep his family's Siberian kitten Prince away from Larry in case the Downing Street veteran did not like him. Lord Cameron previously noted that Larry was not very keen on men, though he was famously surprised by how well the pet gelled with then-US president Barack Obama, one of the many international guests Larry has welcomed to Downing Street. Larry has also appeared in official records of such visits, including lurking on a windowsill in a photograph of Baroness Theresa May with US President Donald Trump.

Larry celebrated years of service at Number recently, having been adopted after viewers of ITV News at Ten highlighted repeated appearances of rodents behind reporters during live broadcasts. David Cameron's government admitted there was an issue with rats in their 18th-century workplace and sought the help of a cat from Battersea Dogs and Cats Home. Larry is believed to have made his first kill on the job at the age of four.