LONDON, Aug 26, 2024 — Downing Street is making discreet preparations for the eventual passing of Larry the Cat, the “chief mouser” of Number 10.

Codenamed “Larry Bridges”, the moniker is a a nod to royal death protocols, echoing “Operation London Bridge” which was used for Queen Elizabeth II’s passing and “Operation Menai Bridge”, which are plans for the passing of the King, named after the eponymous strait in Wales.

At 17 years old, Larry, it's unknown how many lives he has left.

Plans carefully drawn up include carefully selected photos of Larry at Downing Street to be released upon news of his demise, contained in folders on the No 10 IT system and a draft of an accompanying press release and graphics, reported The Times.

A government insider confirmed “Larry Bridges” had been pulled together for “the announcement of his death to the world”, adding that, “We felt it had to be handled so sensitively.”

Another source said a “social media plan” had also been drafted, to announce the news to Larry’s online admirers.

Larry was adopted from Battersea Cats and Dogs Home in 2011 by then-Prime Minister David Cameron’s family.

The feline has remained a fixture through six prime ministers: David Cameron, Boris Johnson, Theresa May, Liz Truss, Rishi Sunak, and currently, Sir Keir Starmer.

His official duties include inspecting “security defenses, testing antique furniture for napping quality, and managing occasional mouse issues”.

Larry's tenure has included notable confrontations with other official cats. He had a long-standing feud with Palmerston, the Foreign Office’s chief mouser, who retired in 2019, and a highly publicised altercation with Freya, the cat of former Chancellor George Osborne.

His interactions with politicians have also been memorable, such as his frosty reception to Liz Truss during her introduction of Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen.

As the plans for announcing Larry’s death are finalised, the parody account for Larry on X (formerly Twitter), which has over 800,000 followers, humorously addressed the situation.

The account suggested that Larry's final wish is to be stuffed and placed above a fireplace in Downing Street, serving as a humorous reminder to future prime ministers.

It also suggested a bank holiday should be declared for the funeral.