William J. Clinton Presidential Library & Museum / Clintonlibrary.gov
People are mourning the current demise of President Jimmy Carter, who was cherished particularly for his kindness and the intensive humanitarian work he did after his 1977 to 1981 presidential time period.
A cute reality about President Carter was that he had a Siamese cat with a unusual identify: Misty Malarky Ying Yang. What a mouthful! This Siamese was one among many cats who’ve occupied the White Home with presidents and first girls all through American historical past.
Here’s a roundup of cats who lived with 11 presidents within the White Home.
1. Misty Malarky Ying Yang Carter
The White Home Historic Affiliation / Whitehousehistory.org
The Siamese cat’s identify was so distinctive that Gabor Szabo performed an unique instrumental composition referred to as Misty Malarky Ying Yang on his Faces album. And there’s one thing else shocking in regards to the cat’s identify: Misty is a feminine identify, however MMYY was really a male!
Misty belonged to Amy, the president’s daughter, and she or he and her cat had been very shut. The Siamese usually sat in on Amy’s violin-playing periods and meowed to contribute feline music, and the cat reportedly would typically sleep in Amy’s dollhouse.
2. Willow Biden
@willowfirstcat / Instagram.com
In January of 2022 – a yr after he took workplace – President Joe Biden and First Girl, Dr. Jill Biden, launched the brand new “First Cat” to the nation. Willow, a feminine grey tabby, is known as after Jill Biden’s hometown of Willow Grove, Pennsylvania. Dr. Biden met the cat at a farm on the marketing campaign path. The cat jumped on stage whereas she was talking, and it appeared meant to be.
Willow, who significantly enjoys lounging within the solarium on the White Home, has turn out to be a star in her personal proper. Willow even has her personal Instagram web page referred to as “willowfirstcat.” Jill Biden additionally wrote an image guide referred to as Willow the White Home Cat.
3. India Bush
George W. Bush Presidential Library / Georgewbushlibrary.gov
The identify of President George W. Bush’s cat, India, ticked off some individuals in India, who thought-about the cat’s identify an insult to their nation. Nonetheless, India had been a part of the Bush household since 1991, which was a decade earlier than the youthful Bush took workplace (2001-2009.) Nicknamed “Willie,” India was fairly an introverted cat, and content material to let her White Home canine siblings – Barney and Miss Beazley – get a lot of the highlight. India particularly cherished the White Home library.
4. Socks Clinton
William J. Clinton Presidential Library & Museum / Clintonlibrary.gov
First Cat Socks lived within the White Home together with his canine brother, Buddy, through the presidency of Invoice Clinton (1993-2001). Invoice and Hillary Clinton adopted Socks as a stray after they lived in Arkansas.
The black and white tuxedo had a cute, stubby mustache, and he was very photogenic. Socks appeared in lots of images in presidential settings, like on the chair on the president’s desk within the Oval Workplace, on the podium within the White Home press room, and on the White Home garden amongst Easter eggs.
In reminiscence of this royal cat – who was euthanized in 2009 because of most cancers – you should purchase a socks decoration from The White Home Historic Affiliation right here, and an opulent Socks toy right here.
5. Shan Shein Ford
Gerald R. Ford Library / Ford.utexas.edu
Earlier than Gerald Ford turned president, he and his spouse, Betty, gave their teenage daughter, Susan, a miniature Siamese cat in 1973. The cat, Shan – whose full identify was Shan Shein, named after a Chinese language city the Fords had visited – moved into the White Home along with her household when Ford turned president in 1974.
Shan the Siamese had cattitude! She had a disdain for Ford’s gregarious golden retriever, Liberty, and spent her days attempting to keep away from the canine. Shan appeared to choose the corporate of ladies however cherished the president; she usually rubbed towards President Ford’s legs and loved sitting in his lap. Shan would conceal beneath the mattress within the Lincoln bed room when Susan was in school.
Shan was very displeased when her household went on a snowboarding journey to Colorado, and reportedly bit the president and first girl on the leg after they returned. (I can simply hear the cat saying: I can’t be ignored, people!)
6. Slippers and Tom Quartz (Theodore Roosevelt)
Theodore Roosevelt Middle / Fb.com
Recognized for being a unusual, larger-than-life character, is it any marvel that President Theodore Roosevelt – who was in workplace from 1901 to 1909 – had a sensible zoo of animals? Slippers and Tom Quartz, the Roosevelt household’s two cats, shared their human household with quite a few horses and canines, guinea pigs, two kangaroo rats, a flying squirrel, and even a snake named Emily Spinach. Wow!
As for the two cats, who will need to have been unusually tolerant felines? They had been colourful characters, too. Slippers, a bluish-gray tabby, had six toes (referred to as a polydactyl), and he had a regal perspective. Throughout a proper White Home dinner, Slippers took a nap proper within the hallway the place dignitaries had been strolling to the eating room. The dinner company needed to simply step across the feline.
Named for a fictional cat in a Mark Twain story, Tom Quartz was feisty and massive on cattitude! He bullied Jack, Roosevelt’s terrier, and terrorized the poor canine.
“Tom Quartz is definitely the cunningest kitten I’ve ever seen,” President Roosevelt wrote in a 1903 letter to his son, Kermit. “He’s at all times enjoying pranks on Jack, and I get very nervous lest Jack ought to develop too irritated.”
Appropriately, Tom Quartz had a particular fondness for politicians, and he grew connected to the Home speaker and a senator.
7. Valeriano Wyler and Enrique DeLome (William McKinley)
Presidential Pet Museum / Presidentialpetmuseum.com
As a journalist, I chuckled after I noticed that President McKinley had a parrot he named Washington Put up. And, I used to be intrigued to learn that First Girl Ida McKinley had an Angora cat (identify unknown) who gave start to 4 kittens, two of which the McKinleys saved. These kittens, the runts of the litter, had been named after international political leaders: Valeriano Wyler, the governor of Cuba, and Spanish Ambassador Enrique DeLome.
Disclaimer: There may be some dispute about whether or not the McKinleys really owned these kittens, or in the event that they had been a fantasy. Who is aware of? Historical past is stuffed with tall tales that turn out to be more durable to show or disprove as extra time goes by.
8. Mittens and Puffins (Woodrow Wilson)
@carlthesphynx / Instagram.com
President Woodrow Wilson, amid the stress of main the nation throughout World Warfare I, had two cats to offer feline consolation: Mittens and Puffins. These two cats joined a curious assortment of White Home pets throughout Wilson’s presidency, together with a ram named Previous Ike.
Little is understood about Mittens and Puffins, however rumor has it that the mischievous cats favored leaping on the eating room desk on the White Home – resulting in frequent water spritzing.
9. Siam Hayes
Siam stuffed animals within the Museum Retailer / Fb.com
President Rutherford B. Hayes, in workplace from 1877 to 1881, not solely had a Siamese cat, however reportedly the first Siamese in america! David B. Sickels, the American consul in Bangkok, gave a feminine Siamese cat to the president and his spouse, Lucy, as a present in 1879. The cat had a protracted journey to America, and was first shipped to Hong Kong.
The primary girl initially named the cat Miss Pussy, however Lucy Hayes modified the identify to Siam when she noticed the attractive blue-eyed cat’s regal air. Sadly, Siam’s life was shortened when she turned unwell only a few months after arriving on the White Home.
10. Tiger and Blacky (Calvin Coolidge)
Library of Congress / Loc.gov
Throughout the Roaring 20s, President Calvin Coolidge (1923-1929) absolutely had roaring enjoyable on the White Home together with his zoo of animals, each widespread and unique. Accompanying quite a few canines, just a few canaries, and even wild animals like raccoons had been two felines: Tiger and Blacky. Tiger, usually referred to as “Tige,” was a tabby who favored to discover outdoors and reportedly went lacking. Blacky favored to remain at residence, and he had a keenness for elevators. Blacky would anticipate the elevator doorways to open, then run in and nap on the cushioned bench.
11. Tom Kitten Kennedy
John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum / Jfklibrary.org
President John F. Kennedy’s huge lineup of animals – together with a number of canines, horses, hamsters, birds, and a rabbit – together with only one cat named Tom Kitten, who belonged to Kennedy’s daughter, Caroline. However, Tom Kitten – a grey feline with yellow eyes who was launched to the media in January 1961 – didn’t stay lengthy on the White Home, because of JFK’s allergic reactions. When Kennedy (1961-1963) was across the cat, he would sneeze and his eyes would water. So, Tom Kitten went to stay with Mary Gallagher, a White Home employees member. Caroline would go to steadily. When JFK was touring, Tom Kitten would come to the White Home to go to.
