New kitten will join Starmer family in Downing Street, Prime Minister reveals

Sir Keir Starmer has let his children get a new kitten while they live at Downing Street, after “a long summer of negotiations” about a dog, the Prime Minister has revealed.

A “Siberian kitten” will be the Starmer family’s new pet, Sir Keir revealed in a BBC 5 Live interview with Matt Chorley.

The Prime Minister was asked for an update on remarks he made during the summer general election campaign that his children were lobbying him to get a German shepherd dog.

“Well, those negotiations have been going on. There’s been a long summer of negotiations, back and forth, different options,” he replied.

“But now we’ve gone for – and this is an agreed after long negotiations, I said we’d get in the room and sort it out – we are now getting a kitten instead of a dog.”

He later added: “This is a Siberian kitten, which is being picked up today by my daughter and so that’s where it ended up.”

Downing Street’s resident mouser, Larry the Cat has become something of a celebrity figure over the last decade, often appearing in the street amid important political moments.

Sir Keir and his family moved into No 10 with their own family rescue cat, named JoJo.

Asked what the reaction had been from Larry to the news of a second new addition to Downing Street’s feline population, the Prime Minister revealed the problems of living with pets in the high security environs of No 10.

“The problem we’ve got, which is the same for JoJo the cat, is that the only door out of our new flat is bomb proof,” he said.

Sir Keir added: “Therefore, getting a cat flapping it is proving a little bit difficult.

“But our daughters persuaded us that the problem isn’t any bigger for two cats than one. And therefore, we’re now getting this kitten.”

Sarah Elliott, central veterinary officer for Cats Protection, said the charity was “pleased to hear there will be another feline voice in Downing Street”.

She added: “As the junior member of the growing cat coalition at Downing Street, the Prime Minister and his family will need to take plenty of time to slowly introduce the new addition to JoJo and Larry.

“The kitten will be joining a busy household, so they will also need to make sure they have lots of positive experiences around new people.

“Kittens are full of fun and mischief, all of which can be quite exhausting, so they need plenty of time to rest.

“As a long-haired breed, Siberian kittens will also need to get used to grooming from an early age to make sure their coat stays tangle-free.

“And it’s really important that Sir Keir ensures the new family pet is microchipped and registered, a legal requirement for all pet cats over 20 weeks in England.

“Young kittens can be exhausting for older statesmen like Larry, so he’ll also need a safe, quiet area to retreat to when the energy of a younger member of the team gets a bit too much.”