Lincoln was the first president to bring felines into the White House. His cats Tabby and Dixie were gifts from Secretary of State William Seward. Lincoln was quite the cat person, even rescuing three motherless kittens while visiting General Grant during the Civil War.
In the generations to follow, multiple presidents enjoyed feline companionship, including Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, Calvin Coolidge and John F. Kennedy.
Most United States presidents have kept pets while in office, or pets have been part of their families. 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.
First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy's Press Secretary Pamela Turnure holds Caroline Kennedy's cat Tom Kitten during a visit with press at the White House, 24 January 1961.
President Lincoln was gifted his two kitties, Tabby and Dixie, from his Secretary of State William Seward when it was decided that Lincoln's dog Fido would have to stay home in Illinois after Abe's election. The two cats immediately won over the President's affection.
President Abraham Lincoln (1861-1865)
Lincoln was the first president to bring felines into the White House. His cats Tabby and Dixie were gifts from Secretary of State William Seward.
India "Willie" Bush (July 13, 1990 – January 4, 2009) was the pet cat of U.S. President George W. Bush and his family while he was in the White House. She lived with the Bush family for almost two decades. India, looks at a plant, 2005.
Grumpy Cat is quite possibly one of the most famous cats in history. She rose to fame in 2012 after a post of her face went viral on Reddit – at first, no one believed her face hadn't been altered but in truth her grumpy markings were real.
India "Willie" Bush (July 13, 1990 – January 4, 2009) was a black Shorthair cat owned by former U.S. President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush.
In 1878, the American consul in Bangkok, David Sickels, gifted a rare Siamese cat to President Rutherford B. Hayes and First Lady Lucy Hayes. Sickels had learned that Mrs. Hayes liked cats, and Siam became the first Siamese cat in the United States.
President Theodore Roosevelt and family were prolific pet owners and animal lovers.
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.
1902. This photograph by Frances Benjamin Johnston shows Kermit Roosevelt, son of President Theodore Roosevelt, sitting on the White House South Lawn with his rat terrier Jack c. 1902.
Skip. President Theodore Roosevelt and his family were famous pet lovers who kept a menagerie of kangaroo rats, snakes, dogs, birds, ponies, and all manner of small animals.
Did you know President John Quincy Adams had a pet alligator? He kept it in a bathtub in the East Room of the White House. But President Adams wasn't the only commander-in-chief with an unusual pet.
Unusual First Pets
Outdoorsman Theodore Roosevelt also had bears among his pets, as well as snakes, pigs, an owl, raccoon, badger, hyena, zebra and lion.
Calvin Coolidge
Coolidge had many cats big and small during his time at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. He had four house cats named Bounder, Tiger, Mud, Tiger and Blacky.
The “13 Flying Black Cats” was a professional aerial exhibition team that started around 1925, advertising they would do ANYTHING for a price. They performed primarily at air shows around Los Angeles and the Southwest but found their niche doing movie newsreels.
Presidential pet history is too imprecise for an exact kitty count, but it appears that only about a dozen have padded through the White House, compared with more than 100 dogs.
A male cat is called a tom or tomcat (or a gib, if neutered). A female is called a queen (or a molly, if spayed), especially in a cat-breeding context. A juvenile cat is referred to as a kitten.
Fans were horrified as the controversial rapper shared these grisly Instagram videos. Azealia Banks dug up her dead cat Lucifer from a grave to “bring her back to life” as horrified fans watched on Instagram. The controversial rapper has concerned followers in the past with her bizarre antics.
Burmese are often considered to be the most affectionate cat breed. They love being with people at all times and crave close physical contact, making them the ultimate companion cat for a devoted family. They will follow their owner from room to room and prefer to cuddle up on the sofa or sleep in bed with them.
Churchill, along with his wife Clementine were animal lovers and usually had a veritable menagerie of cats and dogs about wherever they went – whether that be at their country home Chartwell, Kent, or in No. 10 Downing Street. 'He loved cats … He always had a cat, if not two,' one of Churchill's secretaries recalled.
President Abraham Lincoln (1861-1865) was known as an avid cat-lover. He had two cats while he was in the White House; Tabby and Dixie, and because of his affection for felines, he would also bring in strays. There are many reports from his contemporaries as well as his wife about the president's love of cats.
Socks Clinton (1989 – February 20, 2009) was the pet cat of U.S. President Bill Clinton and his family while he was in the White House.