Image by Dawn Rose, Pixabay
Anyone who loves cats must have spotted these two news stories this week.
Larry of Number 10
Larry the Cat is still patrolling his territory around Number 10 Downing Street as if nothing is different; but this week marked his fifteenth anniversary of being brought from Battersea Dogs and Cats’ Home to the House with the Black Door. I’ve heard cat guardians refer to this as a ‘Gotcha Day’, a day to celebrate their cat’s arrival if they don’t know their cat’s birthdate with any certainty. Let’s hope Larry was awarded a suitable celebration behind closed doors.
Palmerston
The other big news was that Larry’s one-time rival in Downing Street has passed away. Palmerston served as Chief Mouser to the Foreign Office, but was possibly more famous for his war against Larry. In July 2016 the two were caught fighting in the street. Shortly after, Palmerston managed to sneak into Number 10, presumably for a rematch with his rival. You’ve got to hand it to him for stealth and cunning. The officer guarding the famous black door could not have mistaken tuxedo Palmerston for tabby Larry. A week or two later, the two rival mousers tore shreds off each other in full view of the journalists waiting for their human guardians to emerge; Larry ripped a chunk out of Palmerston’s ear as Palmerston was tearing off Larry’s collar. The kind of display that cartoons are made of.
Palmerston retired in 2020, accompanying his guardian to a new post in Bermuda and passing away there on 12 February 2026. Larry’s official social media paid a gracious tribute to his old rival, though I suspect Larry himself would have wanted to say something like; “Sorry about the ear… you old wuss.”
Ni-Ni-Ni
If you’re looking for an excuse to celebrate this month, try Japan’s National Cat Day on the 22nd. The Japanese chose this date because the numbers 22/2 in Japanese mimic their version of ‘miaow’ (ni-ni-ni). There are no official events to mark the day, but I’m certain the cat cafes of Japan will be full. If you’re feeling down and need a quick cheer-up this week, trawl through the Internet’s store of Japanese cats.
My favourite Japanese cat is ‘Shinjuku Higashi-guchi no Neko’. That’s a giant hologram of a calico cat on what seems to be a top floor balcony of the Cross Shinjuku Building. The hologram is based on a real calico cat and won a competition to be the featured art in the busy junction back in 2021. The video runs on the curved billboard from 7am till 1am every day, giving a 3D image of the cat stretching, staring down at the people on the streets below and finally curling up to sleep. Giant litter tray activities not included, thankfully.
This 22 February, treat yourself to a few minutes watching the Shinjuku Cat on its high perch, read one of the many Japanese cat books or just enjoy the sight of your own cat curled up and content in its favourite place.
