Larry the Downing Street Cat, always a favourite of camera crews awaiting news outside the home of the British prime minister, found himself captivating the world's media on Monday as they waited in vain in for a Brexit breakthrough.
But much like the negotiators, who had been promising an imminent deal for almost a day, he flattered to deceive as he smoothly stalked a pigeon, pounced on it - and then let it slip from his grasp.
Larry, officially the "Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office", has been in residence in Downing Street since 2011.
He was recruited from Battersea Dogs & Cats Home and the government's website has a picture of him sitting on the cabinet table, wearing a British flag as a bow around his neck.
"Larry spends his days greeting guests to the house, inspecting security defences and testing antique furniture for napping quality," the site says.
"His day-to-day responsibilities also include contemplating a solution to the mouse occupancy of the house. Larry says this is still 'in tactical planning stage'."
(Reporting by Guy Faulconbridge; Editing by Kevin Liffey)
