Larry, The Downing Street Cat - Keir today and gone tomorrow

I was rudely awakened this morning by an outbreak of Human Activity, which, as any sensible cat knows, is almost always unnecessary. A small platoon of staff had begun filling boxes and depositing them in the hallway with all the quiet efficiency of a brass band rehearsing in a library. Today appears to be Keir's departure day. He is vacating my residence and returning to what humans insist on calling "normal life", though I remain unconvinced such a place actually exists. Hence, the endless parade of cardboard boxes, scraping furniture, and people asking each other where they've put the tape while standing next to the tape. A removal van has stationed itself at the rear of the building and is steadily swallowing books, computers, Lego sets, and assorted possessions accumulated over the years. I may also have discreetly contributed a couple of unexpected items of my own, purely to ensure he remembers me every time he unpacks. While supervising operations from a strategic sunbeam, I overheard the kitchen radio announcing that Manservant Number 7 will be confirmed as the new Labour leader today. Apparently, he's still assembling his Cabinet. Miliband, Mahmood, and Cooper are all being tipped for the senior jobs. Which, rather sadly, means "Rachel from Accounts" can probably hand back the Treasury calculator and return to her shift at McDonald's. One unexpected pleasure amid the chaos has been spotting myself in a couple of splendid cartoons marking the latest change of manservant. It is reassuring to know that, while politicians come and go with astonishing regularity, I remain one of the nation's few genuinely permanent institutions. As for the weekend, it promises to be gloriously noisy. Humans have an extraordinary talent for turning the simple act of moving house into an endurance event involving endless lifting, shouting, and the mysterious disappearance of things they swear were "just here a minute ago." Now we wait to see what Bambi Burnham brings to the party. New boxes, unfamiliar bags, and unexplored corners are among life's greatest pleasures. For a cat, every house move is less a logistical exercise and more the opening of an interactive adventure park. I shall, naturally, inspect everything. #cats #pets #cat #animals #larrythecat