Fun Presidential Pet Facts

There aren't any pets in the White House now, but that hasn't been the norm throughout American history.

Trump is the first US President in nearly 170 years without any four-legged or feathered companions for Americans to adore!

The only other petless Commanders in Chief was the 11th President: James Polk, who served from 1845 - 1849.

Calvin Coolidge & Teddy Roosevelt had the most pets - the White House lawn was more like a zoo!

Since it's President's Day, we've gathered some interesting facts about presidential pets for you about the most off-the-wall animals that have lived on the grounds and the most interesting pet names (we've had some creative presidents with a good sense of humor!)

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Most Unusual Pets

There have been plenty of dogs, cats, birds, and horses in the White House, but many presidents had a taste for exotic pets...

We can only appreciate most of these animals at zoos and wildlife reserves now, so it's hard to imagine visiting Washington D.C. and seeing a pair of alligators or grizzly bears strolling around the lawn!

• Thomas Jefferson: 4 Mockingbirds & 2 Grizzly Bear cubs​​
• John Quincy Adams: Silkworms
• Andrew Jackson: An African Grey Parrot that swore so much that he was removed from the building during Jackson's funeral
• Martin Van Buren: 2 Tiger cubs gifted by the Sultan of Oman
• James Buchanan: An Eagle
• Andrew Johnson: White Mice that he found in his bedroom
• Benjamin Harrison: 2 Opossums
• Teddy Roosevelt: Garter Snake, a Black Bear, a Badger, a Hyena, a Barn Owl, & a one-legged Rooster
• Woodrow Wilson: A Ram
• Calvin Coolidge: A Raccoon (that was intended as Thanksgiving dinner!), a Bobcat, 2 Lion cubs, a Pygmy Hippopotamus, a Wallaby, an Antelope, & a Black Bear
• Herbert Hoover: 2 Alligators
• John F. Kennedy: A puppy born to one of the Soviet Space Dogs

Most Original Names

• "Sweetlips" (Foxhound), "Drunkard" & "Tipsy" (Coonhounds) owned by George Washington
• "Satan" (!), a dog owned by John Adams
• "Young Fearnought" (Arabian Horse) owned by Thomas Jefferson
• "Cincinnatus," a horse gifted to Ulysses S. Grant by the citizens of Cincinnati
• "Mr. Reciprocity" & "Mr. Protection" (Opossums) owned by Benjamin Harrison
• "Emily Spinach" (Garter Snake) & "Baron Spreckle" (Hen) owned by Theodore Roosevelt
• "Mooly Wooly," a cow owned by William Howard Taft
• "Peter Pan" (Fox Terrier), "Boston Beans" (Bulldog), "Calamity Jane" (Sheltie), "Ebeneezer" (Donkey), "Nip" & "Tuck" (Canaries), "Do-Funny" (Songbird), "Tax Reduction" & "Budget Bureau" (Lion cubs) owned by Calvin Coolidge
• "King Tut" (Belgian Shepherd) owned by Herbert Hoover
• "Macaroni" & "Leprechaun" (Ponies) owned by John F. Kennedy
• "Him" & "Her" (Beagles) owned by Lyndon B. Johnson
• "Misty Melarky Ying Yang" (Siamese Cat) owned by Jimmy Carter's daughter
• "Miss Beazley" (Scottish Terrier), George W. Bush's gift to wife Laura

​There you have it. Now you can say, "Did you know...?" at the dinner table, and maybe score some points at couch Jeopardy!

Click here for the full list of Presidential Pets!

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