Now that the election is behind us, one thing is certain.
Come January 20, 2017, Bo and Sunny, the current 4-legged oval office residents will be moving out.
Will another pet be moving in? And if so, will it follow in the mold of recent canines and felines, or revisit some of the more unconventional pets of the past? Time will tell.
Presidential pets have a long and varied history
Pets have played a role in more than a few campaigns, and have served at times to lower the temperature of heated discussions.
Most of us are familiar with the dogs and cats who occupied the White House in the past decade or two. We’ve enjoyed watching Millie, Buddy & Socks, and the infamous Checkers.
Saturday Night Live had a field day with Liberty during the Ford administration. We didn’t hear much about Grits or Ying Yang during the Carter years, and Rex & Lucky stayed mostly out of sight during Reagan’s reign.
It was the earlier presidents who livened up the White House grounds with some unconventional pets
Presidents Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt and Coolidge had the most prolific and varied collection of pets. JF Kennedy was not too far behind.
Here’s a look at some of the more unusual presidential pets that have been privileged to reside or roam the White House grounds. Take a deep breath and enjoy!
Alligator (JQ Adams)
Antelope (Coolidge)
Badger (T Roosevelt)
Bald Eagle (Buchanan)
Bear (Jefferson,T Roosevelt, Coolidge)
Bobcat (Coolidge)
Canaries (Hayes, Cleveland, Harding, Coolidge, Kennedy
Chickens (Wilson)
Cow (Harrison, Hayes, Taft)
Coyote (T Roosevelt)
Donkey (Coolidge)
Elephant (Buchanan)
Fish (Garfield, Nixon)
Flying Squirrel (T Roosevelt)
Goat (WH Harrison, Lincoln, Hayes, B Harrison)
Goose (Coolidge)
Guinea Pig (T Roosevelt)
Hamsters (Kennedy, LB Johnson)
Horse (Washington, Adams, Jackson, Tyler, Polk, Taylor, Grant, Hayes, Garfield, T Roosevelt, Kennedy)
Hyena (T Roosevelt)
Lion (T Roosevelt, Coolidge)
Lizards (T Roosevelt)
Lovebirds (LB Johnson)
Mice (Johnson)
Mockingbird (Jefferson, Cleveland, Coolidge)
Opossum (B Harrison, Hoover)
Owl (T Roosevelt)
Parrot (Washington, Madison, Jackson, Grant, McKinley, T Roosevelt)
Parakeets (Kennedy)
Pig (Lincoln, Grant)
Pony (Jackson, Lincoln, Grant, T Roosevelt, Kennedy)
Pygmy Hippopotamus (Coolidge)
Rabbit (Lincoln, Kennedy)
Raccoon (T Roosevelt, Coolidge)
Rooster (Grant,T Roosevelt)
Ram (Wilson)
Rat (T Roosevelt)
Sheep (Madison, Wilson)
Silkworms (JQ Adams)
Snake (T Roosevelt)
Tiger Cub (Van Buren)
Turkey (Lincoln)
Wallaby (Coolidge)
Zebra (T Roosevelt)
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