Political Animals : The secret life of the political pets of Westminster and Washington

Drawing on exclusive interviews with Washington and Westminster insiders, including Prime Ministers past and present, Peter 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.

Larrythe cat, chief mouser of Downing Street, has seen off five Prime Ministers sofar and is a national treasure. Though certainly the most famous cat inBritain, Larry is only one of a long line of political animals at the seats ofgovernment on both sides of the Atlantic. Frompandas and platypuses to Labradors and lions, animals have long shored up peacebetween rivals, clinched election campaigns, caused divisions within partiesand left their unique calling cards in the halls of power. Journalistand former special adviser Peter Cardwell traces the political (andnot-so-political) adventures of these fascinating pets from Tudor times to No. 10's newest kitten. Drawing on exclusive interviews with Washington andWestminster insiders, including Prime Ministers past and present, Cardwellreveals never-before-heard tales of political pets and offers a fresh insightinto the enduring relationships between those in government and their furryfriends. Thisupdated paperback edition explores Larry's life under the eventful premiershipsof 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.