Nearly all U.S. presidents have kept pets in the White House, ranging from horses, dogs and cats, to hamsters and birds -- and some more exotic animals, as well. But President Donald Trump has broken that tradition, as he seems to have no immediate plans to acquire a furry companion. He is the first U.S. president in over 100 years not to have a pet while in office. The previous occupant of the White House, Barack Obama, had two Portuguese Water Dogs. George W. Bush had several dogs -- two terriers and a spaniel, as well as a cat. Bill Clinton had a Labrador named Buddy and a cat named Socks. Many Americans hope that, like his predecessors, Donald Trump will bring a canine or feline friend to the White House soon.
More about pets in the White House:
- John F. Kennedy's wide variety of pets included horses, dogs, cats, birds, hamsters, and rabbits.
- Theodore Roosevelt had an interesting range of pets, including a snake, a badger, a macaw, a flying squirrel, and a kangaroo rat.
- John Quincy Adams kept an alligator that actually lived in a White House bathroom.