Willow (cat)

Last updated

Willow
Willow the First Cat.png
Willow in 2022
Species Domestic cat
Breed Domestic short-haired cat
SexFemale
Born (2020-01-03) January 3, 2020 (age 4) [1]
Western Pennsylvania, U.S.
Occupation United States presidential pet
Years active2021–present
TermJanuary 28, 2022 – present
Owner Biden family
Residence White House
AppearanceTabby cat with light green eyes, striped light and dark grey fur
Named after Willow Grove, Pennsylvania

Willow (born January 3, 2020) is an American tabby domestic short-haired cat owned by President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden. Formerly a farm cat, she was adopted by the Biden family from Rick Telesz as part of a campaign promise to adopt a cat into the First Family and is named after Jill Biden's hometown of Willow Grove, Pennsylvania. Willow is the first cat to live in the White House since India, who was owned by President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush. [2]

Contents

Biography

Willow is a former farm cat that was born in Western Pennsylvania, and was formerly owned by Rick Telesz, a farmer in Volant, Lawrence County, Pennsylvania. [2] [3] [4] She has green eyes. [5] Biden has stated that “[Willow] has no limits” and that “in the middle of the night she climbs up and lays on top of [his] head”. [6]

Adoption

Willow overlooking Christmas decorations in the White House Cross Hall, Dec. 22, 2022 Willow Biden and the Christmas tree.jpg
Willow overlooking Christmas decorations in the White House Cross Hall, Dec. 22, 2022
Willow explores the White House. Meet Willow 2.jpg
Willow explores the White House.

Jill Biden first met Willow during a campaign speech at the farm where she resided and she immediately bonded with her. [1] [3] In an interview Jill stated that the cat had, between then and her adoption by the Bidens, been living with a foster family, and that she had grown attached to the cat. [7] Rick Telesz, Willow's former owner, claimed that he received a phone call where he was informed that Jill wanted to adopt Willow from him. [3] [8]

Willow's adoption was part of a campaign promise to adopt a cat into the First Family, [9] and after being so, was named Willow Biden, after Jill's hometown of Willow Grove, Pennsylvania. [1] [4] [10]

Willow was adopted in February 2021, but only came to live in the White House in 2022 because of concerns that she would not get along with the Biden family's German Shepherd Major. [11] The dog reportedly had biting issues and was sent to live with friends of the Biden family in Delaware. [1]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hello Kitty</span> Fictional character by Sanrio

Hello Kitty, also known by her real name Kitty White, is a fictional character created by Yuko Shimizu, currently designed by Yuko Yamaguchi, and owned by the Japanese company Sanrio. Sanrio depicts Hello Kitty as a British anthropomorphized white cat with a red bow and no visible mouth. According to her backstory, she lives in a London suburb with her family, and is close to her twin sister Mimmy, who is depicted with a yellow bow.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Willow Grove, Pennsylvania</span> Census-designated place in Pennsylvania, United States

Willow Grove is a census-designated place (CDP) in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. A community in Philadelphia's northern suburbs, the population was 13,730 at the 2020 census. It is located in Upper Dublin Township, Abington Township and Upper Moreland Township. Willow Grove was once known for Willow Grove Park, an amusement park that was open from 1896 to 1976, now the site of Willow Grove Park Mall. Willow Grove is considered an edge city of Philadelphia, with large amounts of retail and office space.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States presidential pets</span> Companion animals of American presidents

Most United States presidents have kept pets while in office, or pets have been part of their families. Only James K. Polk, Andrew Johnson, and Donald Trump did not have any presidential pets while in office. However, Johnson did take care of some mice he found in his bedroom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beth Ostrosky Stern</span> American actress and model (born 1972)

Beth Ostrosky Stern is an American actress, author, model, and animal rights activist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Socks (cat)</span> Cat belonging to Bill Clinton and family

Socks Clinton was the pet cat of the Clinton family, the first family of the United States from 1993 to 2001. An adopted stray cat, he was the only pet of the Clintons during the early years of the administration, and his likeness hosted the children's version of the White House website, alongside the Clintons' dog, Buddy. After Clinton left office, Socks resided with former Clinton secretary Betty Currie and her husband, owing to continuing conflicts with Buddy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">India (cat)</span> Cat owned by US presidential Bush family

India "Willie" Bush was a female solid black American Shorthair cat owned by former U.S. President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush. She lived with the Bush family for almost two decades.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Office of the First Lady of the United States</span> Staff accountable to the First Lady of the United States

The Office of the First Lady (OFL) is the staff accountable to the first lady of the United States. The office and its responsibilities, while not constitutionally mandated, have grown as the role of the first lady has grown and formalized through the history of the United States. The Office of the First Lady is an entity of the White House Office, part of the Executive Office of the President. It is located in the East Wing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jill Biden</span> First Lady of the United States since 2021

Jill Tracy Jacobs Biden is an American educator who has been the first lady of the United States since 2021 as the wife of President Joe Biden. She was the second lady of the United States from 2009 to 2017 when her husband was vice president. Since 2009, she has been a professor of English at Northern Virginia Community College, and is believed to be the first wife of a vice president or president to hold a salaried job during the majority of her husband's tenure.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Family of Joe Biden</span> Immediate family of Joe Biden

Joe Biden, the 46th and current president of the United States, has family members who are prominent in law, education, activism and politics. Biden's immediate family became the first family of the United States on his inauguration on January 20, 2021. His immediate family circle was also the second family of the United States from 2009 to 2017, when Biden was vice president. Biden's family is mostly descended from the British Isles, with most of their ancestors coming from Ireland and England, and a smaller number descending from the French.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Catherine M. Russell</span> American government and UN official (born 1961)

Catherine Mary Russell is an American attorney and political adviser who is the Executive Director of UNICEF as of 2022. Russell previously served as Director of the White House Presidential Personnel Office, United States Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women's Issues, and Chief of Staff to then-Second Lady of the United States Jill Biden.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Second ladies and gentlemen of the United States</span> Spouse of the vice president of the United States

The second gentleman or second lady of the United States is the informal title held by the spouse of the vice president of the United States, concurrent with the vice president's term of office. Coined in contrast to "first lady" – albeit used less commonly – the title "second lady" was apparently first used by Jennie Tuttle Hobart to refer to herself. The first second gentleman of the United States is Doug Emhoff, the husband of Kamala Harris, the current vice president and first woman in the position, since January 20, 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Naomi Biden</span> American lawyer (born 1993)

Naomi King Biden is an American lawyer. She is the eldest daughter of Hunter Biden and Kathleen Buhle, and a granddaughter of U.S. President Joe Biden. She grew up in Washington, D.C., and attended the University of Pennsylvania and Columbia Law School and works as an associate at the law firm Arnold & Porter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Champ (dog)</span> Pet dog owned by the Biden family

Champ was a German Shepherd owned by Joe Biden's family. He joined them in living at the White House in 2021. Champ was the older of the two German Shepherds the Bidens owned at the start of his presidency. The younger German Shepherd was Major.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Major (Joe Biden's dog)</span> Pet dog owned by the Biden family

Major is a German Shepherd owned by Joe Biden's family. Major, who was born in 2018, is the first shelter dog to live in the White House. Previously, President John F. Kennedy and his wife Jackie had owned two German Shepherds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Biden Foundation</span> United States non-profit organization from 2017 to 2019

The Biden Foundation was a nonprofit organization under section 501(c)(3) of the United States tax code that existed from 2017 to 2019. It was established by United States president Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden with the stated mission to "champion progress and prosperity for American families".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Commander (dog)</span> Pet dog owned by the Biden family

Commander is a German Shepherd owned by President of the United States Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 State of the Union Address</span> Speech by US president Joe Biden

The 2022 State of the Union Address was given by the 46th president of the United States, Joe Biden, on March 1, 2022, at 9:00 p.m. EST, in the chamber of the United States House of Representatives to the 117th United States Congress. It was Biden's first State of the Union Address, and his second speech to a joint session of the United States Congress. Presiding over this joint session was the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, accompanied by Vice President Kamala Harris in her capacity as the president of the Senate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kathleen Buhle</span> American writer

Kathleen Anne Buhle is an American non-profit executive and writer. Buhle is the mother of Naomi Biden and the former wife of Hunter Biden, a son of U.S. President Joe Biden. She is the author of the 2022 memoir If We Break: A Memoir of Marriage, Addiction, and Healing, which details her life while married to him.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Rogers, Kate (January 28, 2022). "Relax, America: Willow, the White House Cat, Has Arrived". The New York Times . Archived from the original on January 28, 2022. Retrieved January 28, 2022.
  2. 1 2 Oladipo, Gloria (January 28, 2022). "Willow the White House cat joins Bidens' pet family". The Guardian . Archived from the original on January 28, 2022. Retrieved January 28, 2022.
  3. 1 2 3 Heyl, Eric (January 31, 2022). "New Biden White House Cat Willow Hails From PA". Patch. Archived from the original on February 6, 2022. Retrieved February 6, 2022.
  4. 1 2 Penington, Lauren (January 31, 2022). "Biden's cat, Willow, joins long line of presidential pets". KLKN-TV . Archived from the original on February 6, 2022. Retrieved February 6, 2022.
  5. Superville, Darlene (January 28, 2022), "Here, kitty: Bidens welcome cat named Willow to White House", Associated Press , retrieved December 22, 2022
  6. Haroun, Azmi (January 26, 2023). "Biden confirms that White House cat Willow has 'no limits' and sleeps on top of his head at night". Business Insider . Archived from the original on June 30, 2023. Retrieved August 9, 2023.
  7. Mason, Jeff (January 28, 2022). "Bidens welcome Willow the cat to the White House". Reuters. Archived from the original on January 28, 2022. Retrieved January 28, 2022.
  8. "Willow, The Biden Family Cat, Is From Western Pennsylvania". CBS Pittsburgh . January 30, 2022. Archived from the original on February 7, 2022. Retrieved February 6, 2022.
  9. Jacobs, Harrison (January 28, 2022). "Meet Willow, the Bidens' new, very presidential-looking cat". NPR . Archived from the original on January 29, 2022. Retrieved January 28, 2022.
  10. Judkis, Maura (January 28, 2022). "The Bidens finally have a White House cat. World, meet Willow". The Washington Post . ISSN   0190-8286. Archived from the original on January 29, 2022. Retrieved January 29, 2022.
  11. Rink, Matthew. "First kitty: Willow Biden, new White House cat, hails from Volant, Pennsylvania, farm". Erie Times-News. Retrieved December 21, 2023.
Honorary titles
Preceded by
India
(George W. Bush's
black cat)
(January 4, 2009)
United States presidential cat
January 28, 2022 – present
Succeeded by
Incumbent