British P.M. Fires Cat
Larry the cat, who was specifically adopted from the Battersea Dogs and Cats Home for the purpose of catching mice at Number 10, Downing Street, the Prime Minister’s official residence, has been fired. [readon]
Fired, yes, but not abandoned (which might have been considered ground for David Cameron, the P.M., to be fired).
Still, Larry is in the dog house since there are still mice running around, which might be considered uncouth when the P.M. is, say, toasting the President of the United States at an official dinner.
When it comes to mice, Larry just doesn’t get that excited. Which was good news for this little fellow in the backyard of Number 10:
It was, however, considered bad P.R. for Larry, and the P.M. said he had no choice but to fire Larry and hire another Secretary of Mousing.
Larry is still lounging around at Number 10, but he’s been joined by Freya, who is apparently in a whole other league when it comes to predatory behavior.
Freya lives next door to Larry at Number 11, which is the official residence of the Chancellor of the Exchequer (Treasury Secretary), George Osborne. Freya now spends much of her day patrolling Number 10, and Larry goes next door to discuss economics and finance.
Freya has been in the news before. Three years ago, when the Osbornes were living at their home in West London, she went missing. The family combed the neighborhood and put up posters, but no sign of Freya. Eventually they gave up. But earlier this year, Frances Osborne, the chancellor’s wife and a prominent author, heard from a friend that Freya was alive and well and living with a cat-loving couple a few blocks away from her home. She was retrieved and brought to Downing Street.
Two questions remain:
1. Is it a good idea for Freya, who has already run off once before, to be wandering around outside at Downing Street? (The answer is that the Brits consider it very wrong not to let their cats go outside.)
2. Hasn’t the British government heard of humane traps? If not, surely someone can explain to the P.M. that
a) Larry could simply hold on to an honorary cabinet position,
b) Those cute little mice could be transported, safe and sound, back out to the backyard, and
c) The Brits could continue to be known as a nation of animal lovers.