Times really are changing in British politics. The Prime Minister's official spokesman has confirmed that the cat is making a comeback in Downing Street.
The feline in question belongs to the Chancellor Alastair Darling and his wife Margaret who now occupy the flat above Number 10, while the Brown family live in the more spacious accomodation above numbers 11 and 12.
The cat is called Sybil and she is black and white, just like Humphrey, the last cat in Downing Street.
Humphrey survived the Thatcher and Major years but mysteriously disappeared soon after the Blairs moved in.
There were accusations that Cherie Blair had had him put down and Alastair Campbell was forced to arrange a photo call to prove that Humphrey was alive and well and living in retirement in the suburbs.
Humphrey passed away a few years ago of natural causes.
The Prime Minister's spokesman was keen to confirm that Sybil will be very much a cat for the whole house, allowed by Sarah and Gordon Brown to wander at will.
"It's the nature of things that cats are difficult to control," the spokesman commented.
And, as a senior spokesman at the Treasury revealed exclusively to Sky News, the fact that Sybil is "a renowned mouser" will surely make her welcome everywhere.
Sybil, who is named after the character in Fawlty Towers, arrived at her new home this afternoon.
McAvity the Mystery Cat is one of Gordon Brown's nicknames...given that the Darlings are from Edinburgh there will now be two McCats in Downing Street.
