Humphry, Downing Street's cat

Howard Watches Cat-Fight

The former Home Secretary, a well-known cat lover, was seen with a contented grin on his face while he visited a cat sanctuary's show at Folkestone in his Kent constituency.

Mr Howard was taking a break before the final days of campaigning for the Tory leadership contest.

One owner, who missed out on a prize, said the political world was a soft option for Mr Howard :

"He may think that the leadership contest is getting dirty, but cat shows are also very competitive. There's a lot of sniping and pruning and tricks going on. Mr Howard is probably better off going for leader then getting into the cat show circuit."

The senior Tory and his wife Sandra keep two tabby cats, but their pets were not entered in the Rhodes Minnis Cat Sanctuary show. After lunching with the judges, he left the show with his wife, who returned later to present the prizes.

Mr Howard posed for pictures with a couple of the feline contestants, but refused to be drawn on the leadership contest or which was his favoured cat at the show.