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.
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.