In honor of Election Day, here's a list of kittens who have resided in the White House.
16th President, Abraham Lincoln: Tabby. The first White House cat.
19th President, Rutherford Hayes: Siam. A gift from the American Consul in Bangkok; this cat was the first Siamese to reach the United States (1878).
26th President, Theodore Roosevelt: Slippers and Tom Quartz.
29th President, Calvin Coolidge: Smokey, Blackie, Timmy and Tiger. Tiger was a grey stripped stray who used to be carried around the White House by the president, around his neck.
35th President, John Kennedy: Tom Kitten. When the cat died in 1962, he was given an obituary notice by the press.
38th President, Gerald Ford: Shan.
39th President, Jimmy Carter: A Siamese, Misty Malarky Ying Yang.
40th President, Ronald Reagan: Cleo & Sara, Tortoiseshell strays, also several unnamed cats.
42nd President, Bill Clinton: Socks
43rd President, George W. Bush: Ernie and India "Willie" Bush and Cowboy.
Source: pawsonline.info
How cool, a cute picture of two LaBath sisters and a little history lesson too.
ReplyDeletethere better be a new First Kitty!!!
ReplyDeleteand they should release a calendar!
Neat post -- great photo!
ReplyDeleteI love the action photo! And the info is interesting to boot.
ReplyDeleteMisty Malarky Ying Yang?!? That's one awesome name. Go, Jimmy Carter, go!
ReplyDeletelearn something new every day :-) I thought Mr & Mrs Bush only had dogs.
ReplyDeleteI hope there is a new First Cat too!
Great info - I thought I knew all the WH cats - but there were a few on the list that were surprises.
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, I vote for a WH cat to lead the new Administration! (We know who'd be in charge!)
Is that a rousing game of leap-kitten in that photo?
ReplyDeleteI love it....and them, vicariously...
You go girls! It looks like they have a serious case of the nutsies. Our boys, and sometimes Maren, get that around eleven o'clock every evening.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the cool info about First Kittens.
What an interesting list. I do hope all of them were treated well when the presidents were ousted though.
ReplyDeleteLooks like the LaBaths are nice n' feisty!
Well, I don't know if the Obama's have a cat...though I heard him tell his daughters in his speech last night that they could get a puppy when they move to the White House. But we all know...CATS RULE!
ReplyDeleteI've read that one of the Obama girls has a serious allergy to cats, so dear Miss Butterbean will remain first cat....and that's not a bad thing at all.
ReplyDeletePotter and Beatrix are very happy this morning.
ReplyDeleteYup, the Obamas are getting a dog and they promised earlier that it would be a shelter dog, not a purchased one. :-)
ReplyDeletehttp://network.bestfriends.org/obamafamilydog/news/29375.html
The HSUS' Legislative Fund, its political arm, endorsed Obama for his support of animal rights, as well. Both he and Biden have been active in the Senate for animal rights.
http://hslf.typepad.com/political_animal/2008/09/humane-society.html
I hope Mr.President Obama will consider adopting a cat too. Can you imagine Garfield & Odie adventures in the White House! Purrfect!
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