Joe and Jill Biden are bringing a cat back to the White House

The president-elect and his wife are already bringing their two dogs, Champ and Major, to the Oval Office

epa08191409 Former Vice President Joe Biden (R) and his wife Jill Biden (L) greet supporters during his Iowa caucus night watch party in Des Moines, Iowa, USA, 03 February 2020. The Iowa Caucus is the first in the nation for the 2020 presidential elections. EPA-EFE/JIM LO SCALZO

US President-elect Joe Biden and his wife, Dr Jill Biden, are reportedly bringing a cat to the White House. EPA

Evelyn Lau author image
Evelyn Lau
Nov 29, 2020
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It’s one thing to try to unite Republicans and Democrats, but it’s another to do the same with cat and dog lovers. However, it appears US President-elect Joe Biden is willing to give it a try.

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Major, the pet of President-elect Joe Biden, is believed to be the first rescue dog in the White House. Courtesy Joe Biden
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While it has already been announced that he and his wife, Jill Biden, will be bringing the first rescue dog to the White House, it's now been revealed they are planning to bring along a cat as well.

The new feline is expected to join the family’s German shepherds when Biden takes office on Inauguration Day on January 20.

CBS Sunday Morning's Jane Pauley first revealed news of their planned cat on Twitter. The name and breed of the feline has yet to be announced.

The Bidens “won’t just be bringing their German shepherds, Major and Champ, to the White House. The Bidens tell us exclusively that soon they’ll be joined by a cat,” she tweeted.

Biden's two dogs, Champ and Major will be the first pooches in the White House since former president Barack Obama and his family lived there with their two Portuguese Water Dogs, Sunny and Bo.

Long-time dog lovers, the Bidens adopted Major from the Delaware Humane Association in 2018.

The German shepherd joined their first dog, Champ, who is the same breed. Named in honour of Biden's childhood moniker, Champ joined the family in 2008, while Biden was serving as vice president to Obama.

Such is his devotion to his animals, Biden made them part of his election campaign, taking to social media to spur Americans to vote with the message: "It’s time we put a pet back in the White House.”

Donald Trump is the first US President since James K Polk (1845-1849) not to have any pets while in office. The first cat to reportedly reside in the White House is Abraham Lincoln’s pet, Tabby. John Adams was the first president to take up residence at the White House in 1800. Adams had no cats but did take three dogs and two horses to live at the White House with him.

Other famous White House kitties include Gerald Ford’s daughter’s cat Shan, Jimmy Carter’s daughter’s cat Misty Malarky Ying Yang, the Clintons’ cat Socks and George W Bush’s India “Willie” Bush – the last feline to live in the Oval Office.

Socks the Cat, the First Pet of President Bill Clinton and First Wife Hillary Rodham Clinton, with black fur, white face, and amber eyes, seated at the tall leather chair behind the President's desk in the Oval Office, looking out into the room, Washington, District of Columbia, January 7, 1994. Courtesy National Archives. (Photo via Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images).
Socks, the first cat of former US president Bill Clinton and wife, seated in a leather chair behind the president's desk in the Oval Office. Smith Collection / Gado / Getty Images
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