Larry the cat: British sensation

Downing Street's resident cat Larry emerged from No. 10 unfazed as he stretched out in front of a large media pack on Tuesday (July 23), soon before the expected announcement of the UK's new prime minister.

Boris Johnson and his rival, Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt, have spent the last month crossing the country seeking to win over the fewer than 200,000 Conservative Party members who will choose Britain's new leader.

The winner will be announced at about 1045 GMT at an event near parliament and will formally take over as prime minister on Wednesday (July 24) afternoon, succeeding Theresa May, who stepped down over her failure to get parliament to ratify her Brexit deal.

Nigel Evans, conservative backbench MP, told the BBC: "The only thing that's certain is that Larry the cat is going to stay in place as the Downing Street cat. Prime ministers come and go, Larry remains in place."

Who is Larry?

Born in 2007, cat Larry has been serving as the Chief Mouser to the UK Cabinet Office since 2011. He is a brown and white tabby. 

Larry is a rescued stray cat from the Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, who was chosen by Downing Street staff. Within a month of his arrival at the Downing Street, Larry as having "a distinct lack of killer instinct, made his first known kill - a mouse - on April 22 in 2011. However, one year later it was revealed that he spends more time sleeping than hunting for mice.

Larry met Obama, delayed Trump's motorcade

Larry met US President Barack Obama during his official visit in 2011 to UK. At 10 Downing Street, the then UK PM Cameron briefed Obama about Larry: "He's a good mouser. I think he's got three mice - verifiable."

Cameroon said he had taken a photograph on his mobile phone of a mouse in his kitchen, but Larry was yet to be put in that room.

He said that while the animal was a "bit nervous" around most men, the US president seemed to be an exception.

"Funnily enough he liked Obama," Cameroon added. "Obama gave him a stroke and he was all right with Obama."

However, his behavior to another visiting US President Donald Trump was a bit different. Sheltering from the rain, Larry refused to move from under Trump’s presidential limousine June this year. He delayed Trump's motorcade though the anti-Trump protesters had failed to do so.

Reported tensions between Cameron and Larry 

In September 2013, tensions were reportedly growing between Cameron and Larry. It was reported that Cameron objected to cat hair on his suit, and the smell of cat food had to be disguised by air freshener when Downing Street had visitors. But Cameron posted to Twitter saying that he and Larry got on "purr-fectly well".

Later, Cameron explained during his final Prime Minister's Questions in 2016 in the House of Commons that Larry is a civil servant and not personal property, so Larry would not leave Downing Street after a change of premier. 

He left Number 10 in July 2016 after the UK voted to leave the EU and admits he wanted a picture with Larry for his upcoming autobiography.

Cameron admits he misses Larry after revealing his last act as PM was taking a selfie with Larry.

Will May miss Larry?

After fall of David Cameron, Theresa May entered the 10 Downing Street as UK PM. In response to questions about whether she would like Larry, May gave divisive answers. She revealed she is more of a dog person, and that the cat keeps his distance from her. May said despite being "very happy to see Larry", "we always had dogs at home rather than cats".

Now May is leaving the 10 Downing Street. Johnson is set to enter the UK PM's official residence soon. Larry will get a new resident in his place. No the question is "Will Johnson adore Larry like Cameron?"

But one thing is clear that the UK PM keeps changing over time, but Larry, the cat, still remains as the King of the 10 Downing Street like the Queen in Buckingham Palace.