In December 2021, on the day the Bidens announced a new puppy, Commander, was to move into the White House, it was also announced that Major would no longer be a resident there after experts recommended that it would be safer for him to live in a quieter environment with family friends.
Only James K. Polk, Andrew Johnson, and Donald Trump did not have any presidential pets while in office. However, Johnson did take care of some mice he found in his bedroom, feeding them, among other things.
President Theodore Roosevelt had the most pets owned as a president at 48. He owned a few strange pets, including a black bear, a badger, a hyena, and even a three-legged rooster. That list of "pets" is just the tip of the iceberg!
Willow (born January 3, 2020) is a tabby domestic short-haired cat owned by President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden.
Lyndon B. Johnson. Johnson caused a stir when he lifted up “Him” by the ears for a White House photo. He was also the last president to have a pet that was not a dog or cat.
Top prize for the oddest (and perhaps most dangerous) First Pet went to John Quincy Adams, who is said to have kept an alligator in the East Room. So much for the calming embrace of animal affection after a tough presidential day.
Sunny (born June 11, 2012) is a pet dog of the Obama family, the 44th presidential family of the United States. Sunny is a female Portuguese Water Dog who was a First Dog of the United States along with Bo. Sunny was introduced via First Lady Michelle Obama's Twitter account on August 19, 2013.
In the generations to follow, multiple presidents enjoyed feline companionship, including Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, Calvin Coolidge and John F.
Abraham Lincoln is considered to be the first President to have cats as family pets in the White House. In the modern era, the Fords and Carters had cats too. The Clintons' cat Socks was a rescue, having come from Chelsea's piano teacher, who found two stray kittens under her home.
Of the 43 men who have served as U.S. presidents, the presidents who had the most dogs were Teddy Roosevelt, our 26th president, and John F. Kennedy, our 35th president.
Billy, or William Johnson Hippopotamus, (Before 1927 – October 11, 1955) was a pygmy hippopotamus given to U.S. President Calvin Coolidge. Captured in Liberia, he was given to Coolidge by Harvey Samuel Firestone in 1927.
President Dwight Eisenhower greets Dzimbo, a 440-pound baby elephant, 1959. President Dwight Eisenhower greets Dzimbo, a 440-pound baby elephant, a gift from the French territories in west-central Africa in 1959. Dzimbo made his permanent home at the National Zoo.
Thomas Jefferson received a pair of grizzly bears as a gift from Captain Zebulon Pike in 1807. The bears arrived at about the same time as Pike's letter (October 1807) explaining that he had acquired the male and female cubs in the southern region of the great Continental Divide.
Jack originally was on the Lincoln's dinner menu, but Tad became fond of the bird and pleaded with his father to spare Jack's life. President Lincoln relented, and Jack became part of the Presidential household.
Roosevelt remarried and raised other children, but “Princess Alice” became a controversial figure during his presidency. She lived in the White House during her early twenties, inciting scandals for smoking cigarettes, driving cars, and keeping a pet snake named Emily Spinach.
President Theodore Roosevelt and family were prolific pet owners and animal lovers.
Billie and Debbie were Syrian hamsters who were United States presidential pets in the care of Caroline Kennedy during the presidency of her father John F. Kennedy. They joined the First Family at the White House in January 1961.
Since the beginning of the American presidency, dogs have often shared a presence in both the first family and the White House. In fact, 30 out of the 44 presidents have had a dog at some point during their respective presidencies.
But more importantly, Polk and Trump are the only two presidents — according to Wikipedia — who had no pets.
Champ (November 11, 2008 – June 19, 2021) was a German Shepherd owned by Joe Biden's family. He joined them in living at the White House in 2021. Champ was the older of the two German Shepherds the Bidens owned at the start of his presidency (with their younger German Shepherd being Major).
A story is told that while Abraham Lincoln occupied the White House, his young son Tad grew so close to a turkey destined for Christmas dinner that he named him Jack and led him around on a leash like a pet.
President Barack Obama and his family were given the male Portuguese Water Dog as a gift after months of speculation about the breed and identity of their future pet. The final choice was made in part because elder daughter Malia's allergies dictated a need for a hypoallergenic breed.