David Cameron has said he will "double security" around Larry, the Downing Street cat, following the apparent poisoning of a prize-winning dog at Crufts.
Three-year-old Irish setter Thendara Satisfaction, known as Jagger, collapsed and died after returning to Belgium from the show at Birmingham's NEC. Jagger's owners suspect murder. Poison-laced beef cubes are the alleged weapon.
Asked about the mystery today, the prime minister told Heart radio that as a "dog and cat lover" his "heart goes out" the family.
"I remember listening to the owner on the radio talking about the toxicology report and how they had fond lumps of meat that had poison in, you think, who would go to such lengths, who would do that, what an unbelievably awful thing to do," he said.
Cameron said he suspected his cat, which was brought into No.10 to catch mice, would probably be ok. "As for Larry, he doesn't get up and get out much so I think he is pretty safe sitting on the chair in the hallway watching the world go by, but i'll double the security around him and make sure he is OK," he said.