AA Pet Insurance considers risks to Larry, the No. 10 cat

Larry, the Prime Minister's new tabby cat, has a vital political brief: to cull the rodent opposition.

Following the infamous televised appearance of a rat on the doorstep of Number 10 during a media briefing, the decision was taken to appoint an official rat catcher.

As a rescue cat from Battersea Dogs and Cats Home with an impressive CV, Larry is likely to be streetwise but vets report that the opposition can strike back with sometimes fatal results.  According to AA Pet Insurance, rats carry dangerous bacteria that can be seriously harmful to cats.  If attacked by a cat a rat will certainly try to sink its teeth in.

Karen Jakes, head of AA Pet Insurance says: "Larry will need to be on his guard when he's out ratting.  A rat bite can form an abscess in a cat's skin which might not immediately be noticed beneath the fur but it is likely to become infected and make the cat very unwell within two or three days.  It can be very serious and even fatal if not treated immediately.  Cats have been known to contract a form of leprosy from a rat bite.

"I would certainly advise staff at Number 10 to keep a close eye on Larry when he's back from his hunting expeditions," says Karen Jakes. "At any sign of incisions on his skin or if Larry seems listless, they should immediately take him to a vet."

The cost of insuring Larry, as a four-year-old neutered rescue cat living in Westminster, is likely to be up to 21.00 per month for the most comprehensive cover.

"Premiums are up to four times higher in city centres than in the country," Karen Jakes points out.  "And to be honest, Larry is far more likely to be hit by a car than bitten by a rat.  In fact Humphrey, an earlier Downing Street cat, was once nearly run over by the US Presidential limousine during an official visit to Number 10 by President Bill Clinton.

"I wish Larry a long, happy and productive life in Downing Street," she adds.  "His predecessors were certainly successful mouse and rat-catchers and most of them lived very fulfilled lives."

There's a long history of ‘official' cats in Downing Street.  A cat affectionately known as Treasury Bill served under Prime Minister Ramsay Macdonald in the 1920s and was an infamous mouser and ratter.  More recently, Wilberforce was acquired from the RSPCA as a kitten by Premier Edward Heath and served between 1973 and 1986.  Humphrey was the most famous Downing Street cat perhaps, a stray who turned up at Number 10 in 1989 during Margaret Thatcher's premiership, remaining under John Major.  He stayed at Number 10 when Tony Blair took over but was retired six months later in November 1997.  The most recent Downing Street cat was Sybil, who was brought from Scotland by Chancellor Alistair Darling in September 2007.  Although a good mouser and ratter, she didn't settle well and was moved out after six months.  Sybil died in 2009.