Larry, The Downing Street Cat - Why I Like Sitting by the Door

It's Saturday afternoon, and Downing Street has all the hustle and bustle of a library just after closing time. My current manservant, “Keir today and gone tomorrow”, as he's presently known, is spending one of what may or may not be his final weekends at Chequers. Human political careers are rather like catnip mice: they appear with great excitement, are enthusiastically chased for a while, then mysteriously disappear under the sofa. The London heatwave seems to have finally loosened its grip. It's still warm, mind you, but no longer the sort of heat that makes pigeons question their life choices. Having spent the last couple of days indoors, I decided it was time to stretch the paws. Inspect the perimeter. Remind the nation that someone around here is actually keeping an eye on things. One question I'm asked with surprising regularity, particularly by American visitors, who seem convinced every British custom requires an explanation, is why I spend so much time sitting outside the famous black door of Number 10. The answer is really quite straightforward. First and foremost, it's my patch. I take territorial management very seriously, and from the front step I have an uninterrupted view of ministers, civil servants, journalists, tourists, police officers, delivery drivers, the occasional protester and, every so often, a fox who clearly hasn't read the security briefing. If anything interesting is going to happen, this is where it starts. Why would I watch it from anywhere else? Secondly, the doorstep is surprisingly comfortable. In winter, it retains just enough warmth to be civilised, while in summer it's pleasantly cool. More importantly, it allows me to observe the world while appearing to do absolutely nothing. Humans call this laziness. I, like most cats, recognise it as the highest form of efficiency. Then, of course, there are the photographers. I've long since accepted that I'm the most dependable attraction in Downing Street. Prime Ministers arrive with speeches, slogans and ambitious plans. I merely sit down. Somehow, I'm the one who ends up on the front pages. The doorway also serves another useful purpose. Everyone who enters or leaves passes directly in front of me. New ministers, foreign dignitaries, plumbers, and delivery drivers all receive the same thorough inspection. Most pass. Some receive a look suggesting they should probably have stayed in bed. It's amazing what you can learn about a person simply by watching how they approach me. Some stop to say hello. Some pretend not to notice me. A few attempt to summon me with kissing noises. I make a point of ignoring those entirely. Standards must be maintained. So yes, I sit by the front door because it's comfortable, strategically important and offers an unrivalled view of one of the strangest shows on Earth. Besides, after watching six Prime Ministers come and go, I've learned one important lesson. The only occupant of Number 10 with genuine job security is me. Larry the Cat Chief Mouser. Security Consultant. Unofficial Head of Continuity. Still waiting for someone to open the door when I approached it. #pet #larrythecat #cat #cats #funnycats