Welcome, Willow, to a long line of presidential pets.
President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden have added a green-eyed tabby from Pennsylvania to the White House family, the first feline tenant since President George W. Bush’s controversially named cat India.
The 2-year-old Willow joins Commander, a recently acquired German shepherd puppy who follows two other German shepherds, Champ and Major. Champ died in June at age 13, while Major, a 3-year-old rescue, was sent off to a quieter life after behaving aggressively.
With Presidents James K. Polk and Donald Trump among the no-pets exceptions, animals have a long history in the White House.
Highlights of past presidential pets:
PRESIDENTS AND PONIES
There have been a few ponies and many horses, including the very first pets to occupy the White House with President John Adams and first lady Abigail. They had horses named Cleopatra and Caesar, along with dogs Juno and Satan.
Caroline Kennedy, the daughter of John F. Kennedy, and her friends famously enjoyed riding her pony Macaroni on the South Lawn, along with another one named Tex, but Macaroni was usually stabled at the Kennedy family home in Virginia.