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Agence France-Presse

The dog-loving Bidens have finally fulfilled a key White House pledge – they got a cat.
The political pussycat is a short-haired tabby named Willow, a spokesman for Jill Biden said Friday.
Pictures posted by the first lady on Twitter showed the grey-and-white-striped pet prowling in the red-carpeted splendour of the presidential residence.
It was the kind of soft, even cuddly Friday news the White House might need in these days of tension with Russia, soaring inflation and a stubborn, if receding, Covid-19 pandemic.

Meet Willow!💕 pic.twitter.com/Gl3SnsMnvW
— Jill Biden (@FLOTUS) January 28, 2022

“We’re waiting for a bad news day,” Press Secretary Jen Psaki joked back in June about going through with the long-expected cat plan.
“If you see a tail wagging coming out of the briefing room, you’ll know something bad is about to happen.”
Willow brings serious political chops: she is a farm cat from Pennsylvania – ground zero in tight presidential elections – and was first encountered in 2020 when she jumped onto a stage where the future first lady was campaigning.
Biden’s dogs Champ and Major settle in at White House
“Willow made quite an impression on Dr Biden,” Michael LaRosa, the first lady’s press secretary, said. “Seeing their immediate bond, the owner of the farm knew that Willow belonged with Dr Biden.”
LaRosa said, “Willow is settling into the White House with her favourite toys, treats, and plenty of room to smell and explore.”

There was no answer to questions on Willow’s ability to bridge the bipartisan divide with dogs, but Washington probably will not have to wait long to find out: the Bidens got a new German shepherd puppy, Commander, just before Christmas.
The Bidens used to have two adult German shepherds but one, Champ, died last year and the other, Major, was sent away to live with family friends because of a series of biting incidents involving White House staff.
Indeed, the US presidential mansion has a long and storied history as a pro-dog house. Pooches – more than 100 – have roamed and sniffed its corridors as far back as the days of George Washington.

America’s first president actually bred a kind of dog called the American foxhound, and his journals feature specimens with names like Sweet Lips and Drunkard, the American Kennel Club says.
In modern times, well-liked presidential dogs have included George Bush Snr’s English springer spaniel Millie and Barack Obama’s Portuguese water dogs Bo and Sunny. Donald Trump, famously germaphobic, stood out from the pack by not having a dog.
White House cats are a much rarer species.
One of the most popular was Socks – Bill, Hillary and Chelsea Clinton’s black and white short-haired cat in the 1990s. An adopted stray, Socks made it big, even being photographed sitting at the presidential desk in the Oval Office.


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Joe Biden

US President Joe Biden welcomes Willow the cat to the White House

Willow, the Biden family’s new pet cat, wanders around the White House on Thursday. Photo: White House via AP

Willow, the Biden family’s new pet cat, wanders around the White House. Photo: The White House via AP 

Willow, US first family’s new pet cat, rests on a couch after wandering through the rooms of the White House on Thursday. Photo: White House via Reuters

All hail our feline overlords: Cats prove way more popular than dogs in China

Most of the survey respondents were relatively young. Photo: Getty Images

The pet industry in China has boomed in the past decade. Photo: Getty Images

Unfortunately for dogs, they are simply not as popular as cats in China. Photo: Getty Images

Love of cats is even helping people make new friends. Photo: Getty Images

In Ukraine’s trenches, stray cats and dogs are a soldier’s companions

A Ukrainian service member pats a dog on the front line near the village of Travneve in Donetsk region, Ukraine. Photo: Reuters

A Ukrainian soldier pats a cat. Photo: AFP

A Ukrainian soldier holds a cat. Photo: AP

Joe Biden fractured foot playing with dog Major

Joe Biden, 78, suffered the injury playing with Major, one of his two German shepherds. File photo: AP

Joe Biden's dog, Champ, stands during speechs during a Joining Forces service event at the Vice President's residence at the Naval Observatory May 10, 2012 in Washington, D.C. Biden sustained a sprained right foot with "no obvious fracture" after being injured while playing with Major,one of his dogs. (Win McNamee/Getty Images/TNS)

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The grey-and-white tabby made a strong first impression on Jill Biden when she jumped on stage with her during a campaign event in 2020
After her much-anticipated arrival at the dog-loving Biden family, Willow is now settling in with treats and toys



The grey-and-white tabby made a strong first impression on Jill Biden when she jumped on stage with her during a campaign event in 2020.


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