Political Animals

Larry the cat, chief mouser of Downing Street, has seen off five Prime Ministers so far and is a national treasure. Though certainly the most famous cat in Britain, Larry is only one of a long line of political animals at the seats of government on both sides of the Atlantic.

From pandas and platypuses to Labradors and lions, animals have long shored up peace between rivals, clinched election campaigns, caused divisions within parties and left their unique calling cards in the halls of power.

Journalist and former special adviser Peter Cardwell traces the political (and not-so-political) adventures of these fascinating pets from Tudor times to No. 10’s newest kitten. Drawing on exclusive interviews with Washington and Westminster insiders, including Prime Ministers past and present, Cardwell reveals never-before-heard tales of political pets and offers a fresh insight into the enduring relationships between those in government and their furry friends.

This updated paperback edition explores Larry’s life under the eventful premierships of Theresa May and Liz Truss and takes a closer look at the life of Palmerston, the former Foreign Office cat, who passed in February 2026.

Peter Cardwell is a broadcaster, author, academic and international political commentator. He served as a special adviser in the UK government for three and a half years, working across four departments. Peter has worked on three continents for the BBC, Sky News and ITV and has written for publications including The Times, the Sunday Independent and Your Cat magazine. He is currently a presenter on Talk and, occasionally, Times Radio.

After being educated in Northern Ireland, Peter studied at St Hugh’s College, Oxford, before winning a Fulbright scholarship to the Columbia School of Journalism, New York.

He lives in London with his rescue cat Jack.