When it comes to the White House, cats have been some of our all-time favorite residents. Even though Morris the cat never lived there, despite running for president in 1988 and 1992, there have been quite a few human presidents with cats in the family (or, as you might see it, cats with human presidents in the family). And many of those early cats have been (almost) as perfect as Morris himself. these are some of the most famous presidential cats in history.
president abraham lincoln (1861-1865)
Lincoln was the first president to bring felines into the White House. His catstabby and dixie were gifts from Secretary of State William Seward. lincoln was quite the cat lover, he even rescued three orphaned kittens while visiting general grant during the civil war. he regularly played with kittens to relieve stress during his presidency, a favorite de-stressing technique of cat lovers, even today.
president rutherford b. Hayes (1877-1881)
Like Lincoln, Hayes was a fan of felines. In fact, the first Siamese cat to arrive in the United States is the Siam cat. siam was a gift from david b. sickels, us diplomat in bangkok, to first lady lucy hayes. the hayes also had a kitten named piccolomini.
president theodor roosevelt (1901-1909)
Teddy Roosevelt had an impressive collection of White House pets, including a six-toed cat named Slippers, and Tom Quartz, named after a fictional Mark Twain feline who mistreats him. Apparently, royal slippers could be found throughout the White House, and they dozed in the hallway outside the banquet hall, where visiting dignitaries had to circle her to enter.
president calvin coolidge (1923-1929)
the coolidges had a menagerie of pets, with a few felines. The 30th President’s cats included Tiger, Black, Springer, Timmie, and even a bobcat named Smoky. blacky used to enjoy cream on a plate and liked to hang out in the elevator at the white house. one day, the tiger was lost in the open air and a radio announcement, a new technology at that time, helped to locate it. Timmie liked to hang out with a familiar canary perched on her shoulders.
president gerald ford (1974-1977)
Gerald Ford’s daughter, Susan, brought Shan Shein, an adorable Siamese cat, to the White House. Although the kitten was not entirely on board with Liberty, the family’s golden retriever, she loved to hang out in Lincoln’s bedroom, usually under the bed.
president jimmy carter (1977-1981)
jimmy carter’s daughter amy also brought a sweet siamese cat to the white house. the feline’s full name was misty malarky ying yang, a tidbit that even inspired a song by gabor szabo. misty liked to hang out in amy’s dollhouse and meowed frequently along with her first daughter’s violin practice sessions.
president bill clinton (1993-2001)
bill clinton arrived at the white house wearing socks, one of the best-known and best-loved early kitties. he was so famous that he had a book and a song written about him. later, he even had a website. However, the socks did not get along with the presidential canine friend and he eventually went to live with Betty Currie, the president’s secretary.
President George W. bush (2001-2009)
george w. Bush brought Ella Catindia “Willie” Bush’s adorable family to the White House. This ebony beauty liked to spend her days in the presidential library and, like socks, she had her own website. she also sometimes appeared in “barneycam” videos taken of the presidential dog barney.
president joe biden (2021-present)
once a farm cat, willow biden quickly rose to fame when she was adopted by president joe biden and first lady dr. jill biden willow met dr. biden after leaping onto the stage in the middle of a campaign speech, and their bond is said to have been immediate. the beautiful green-eyed gray tabby cat was adopted at age two and named after dr. Biden’s hometown of Willow Grove, Pennsylvania.
why these presidential cats are basically just like yours
Although it’s fun to learn about the glamorous lives of presidents’ cats, the truth is that they all entered their litter boxes one paw at a time. ok, maybe two legs at once. you get the idea.
The point is, all felines have the same basic needs, and you don’t have to be the commander in chief to give your cat a good life. It’s actually quite simple: all your cat needs is a good home (house white or not), good health, and good food. and it all starts with a good human being like you.
Want to increase your approval rating with the feline demographic? check out these morris-approved cat care questions and answers.
