I'm Ready For My Close-up, Mr. President

Of course, we have to be talking about none other than Socks the cat. Originally the pet of President Bill Clinton's daughter Chelsea, Socks not only became the official pet of the first family, but can also lay claim to being the most photographed feline in history.

A more unusual first pet was 'Rebecca the Raccoon'. During Calvin Coolidge's presidency, the family's pet raccoon Rebecca was almost as well known as the First Lady herself. Although chained when outdoors, inside the White House Rebecca had free rein. This might have been in the best interests of Rebecca, but not other White House residents. White House staffers looked upon this practice with great disdain, as they did not take kindly to having their clothes and stockings ripped by the mischievous little bandit.

During Woodrow Wilson's presidency it was not unusual to see sheep grazing on the White House lawn. Wilson had bought a flock of sheep as a cost-cutting method of groundskeeping. One of the most notable of the flock was 'Old Ike', a ram who loved to chew tobacco.

And who would have thought there would have been such an interest taken in the choosing of new first dog 'Bo', the Portuguese Water Dog chosen by the Obama's?

Of Mice and Men... and Silkworms

Although not technically his "pets" Andrew Johnson considered the mice that he fed in his room as the "President's mice." However, Andrew Jackson officially kept six white mice as pets.

John Quincy Adams kept silkworms. Well, actually, his wife Louisa kept the worms, and used the silk that the worms produced to make her own gowns. Talk about "eco friendly!"

And finally, who could forget Warren G. Harding, whose presidency was overshadowed by a corrupt cabinet and who once lost the White House china in a poker game, for holding a birthday party for his dog Laddie Boy, complete with dog biscuit cake and canine invitees.

It's easy to see we must include animals in our thoughts as we salute the Red, White, and Blue. Whether they be the work horses used to push westward, the regal steeds that fought battles, the "Teddies" that enchanted a child's heart, or the pampered "First Pets" that captured our nation's attention, animals are, and always will be, a part of America's story.

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