Catfights in Downing Street have been going on for 70 years as archives reveal 1940s feline feud between Churchill’s tabby Nelson and Chamberlain’s pet The Munich Mouser
- Downing Street cat Larry and Foreign Office pet Palmerston famous for feud
- But Churchill and Chamberlain's cats were also at odds during 1940s
- History of political pets has been revealed in a book by the National Archives
They are two of the biggest rivals in British politics today - despite being cats.
But the feline feud between Larry the Downing Street Cat and Palmerston of the Foreign Office is not the first time a pair of political pets have been at odds.
Winston Churchill's cat Nelson - formerly a stray - clashed with Neville Chamberlain's 'Munich Mouser' when the former took over as Prime Minister during the Second World War in 1940.
The rivalry has been highlighted in the book Larry, The Chief Mouser, and other Official Cats, put together by Christopher Day who works at the National Archives.
Larry the Downing Street cat, pictured being stroked by a policeman, is famous for being very protective of his territory
He has been embroiled in a feud with Foreign Office pet cat Palmerston, pictured, with the pair coming to blows on several occasions
According to the Telegraph, their dispute became famous on both sides of the Atlantic after newspapers in the US speculated on how the two could co-exist once Churchill took power.
It is believed Nelson won the battle as the black cat was often seen with his master at war cabinet meetings.
He famously won favour with Churchill after chasing away a dog in front of the war leader, who was taken with Nelson's 'bravery'.
Other political cats mentioned in the book include pedigree Manx Peta, given to the Home Office by the Isle of Man Government.
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She was at the Home Office between 1964 and 1970 and thought to have been embroiled in her own feud with then-Prime Minister Harold Wilson's pet cat Nemo.
Larry and Palmerston were pictured in a dogged catfight earlier this year shortly after Theresa May moved into No.10 Downing Street.
The scuffle saw Larry, a brown and white tabby, suffer a bite to the face as his acrobatic rival leapt into action, with Palmerston following his rapid attack with a swiping paw to the face.
Such was the ferocity of the clash that Larry lost his purple collar in the process, with Palmerston suffering a number of deep scratches from his Westminster rival.
A book produced by the National Archives revealed Winston Churchill's (left) pet cat Nelson was at odds with Neville Chamberlain's (right) cat the Munich Mouser
Larry and Palmerston were snapped in the middle of a vicious catfight earlier this year in which the latter came out on top
Larry was also seen thrown on his back during the clash as Palmerston ended the bout on top.
Larry has been involved in feline skirmishes before and has a history of troubled relations with his neighbours.
The so-called 'chief mouser', entrusted with the rat-catching portfolio, had a full-scale fight with the silver tabby from No 11 Freya, outside the Prime Minister's front door in October 2012.
The two learned to co-exist, but Freya was eventually exiled to the Kent countryside to live with a member of Mr Osborne's staff in 2014.
Larry, who arrived at Number 10 in 2010, also took a vicious swipe at television reporter Lucy Manning in his first few days in Downing Street.
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