Larry the Cat 'Dead'? No 10 Cat Alive Despite False Reports as Chief Mouser Responds To Hoax on X

Larry the Cat is alive and well after a false report claimed the famous Downing Street resident had died, prompting the Chief Mouser to respond on X with a pointed Mark Twain quote. The rumour was later retracted by Politics UK, which said the post had been based on false information from a hacked source.

The false report appeared earlier on Saturday evening, when the Politics UK account posted that Larry had died. The account later deleted the message and issued a correction, explaining that the information had come from what it described as a reliable source that had itself been compromised.

'Earlier tonight, we posted that Larry the Cat had died,' Politics UK said. 'We can confirm this is not the case.'

The account added that 'Larry is still alive and well', bringing an abrupt end to what could have become a remarkably serious piece of news about one of Westminster's most recognisable unofficial figures.

Larry, however, had his own response.

Larry the Cat Answers Death Rumours With Mark Twain

The Chief Mouser's official X account appeared to address the hoax with a line attributed to American author Mark Twain.

'Reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated...' the post read.

It was a suitably dry response for a cat whose online presence is known for sarcastic commentary about British politics. Rather than issuing a lengthy denial, Larry appeared to let the old Twain line do the work.

Politics UK ultimately acknowledged that its original report was false. The account said the information had come from a 'reliable source' that had been hacked, rather than claiming that the death report was deliberately fabricated by the account itself.

There is no indication in the supplied reporting that Larry was ever in danger or that anything had happened to him at Downing Street.

Larry the Cat Has Outlasted Six Prime Ministers

Larry has occupied his unusual position at the heart of British political life since 2011, when he was brought into Downing Street after being adopted from Battersea Dogs & Cats Home. He was brought in partly because of concerns about mice at the government residence, and his presence soon became a familiar feature of the building.

His official title is Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office, a role that has made him a permanent fixture at an address where human occupants tend to come and go with considerably less stability.

Since arriving at No 10, Larry has outlasted six prime ministers. David Cameron was in office when the cat arrived, followed by Theresa May, Boris Johnson, Liz Truss, Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer.

That political longevity has become part of Larry's appeal. While governments have changed and ministers have faced elections, scandals and leadership contests, the cat has remained.

His official X account has also developed a reputation for taking aim at politicians, often using deliberately sardonic posts that play into his image as an unimpressed observer of Westminster.

He has also become part of the visual language of British politics. Photographs of Larry outside the famous black door have routinely appeared alongside ministers, visiting officials and political events, turning an ordinary rescue cat into a recognisable Westminster character.

That made Saturday's false death announcement particularly easy to imagine as real. Larry is old enough and prominent enough to be the subject of genuine public concern, while his status as Downing Street's longest-serving resident gives even an ordinary update about him an unusual level of interest.