Bidens may add cat to White House pet family

President-elect already owns two German Shepherds

Joe Biden and his newly-adopted German shepherd Major, in Wilmington, Delaware (AP)

For the first time in over 10 years, the first family may bring a cat into the White House in an addition to the Bidens’ family of pets, according to a report.

According to a tweet by CBS Sunday Morning, the Bidens told the broadcaster that they hope to be joined by a new furry friend when they move into their new home.

The Bidens already own two German Shepherds who will be moving in when Mr Biden takes office in January: Champ and Major, and reports of a cat come as a surprise addition.

In an interview with Fox 5 earlier this month incoming first lady Jill Biden expressed that she would “love to get a cat.”

“I love having animals around the house,” she said.

The Biden campaign did not immediately respond to The Independent’s request for comment.

Pets at the White House have been interpreted to reflect the occupants’ personalities and have sometimes played a prominent role in an administration’s image.

President Donald Trump broke from decades of tradition by not having a pet live alongside him in the White House during his term and said that adopting a dog to make him look good politically would feel “phony”.

While Barack Obama previously had two dogs, the last cat to live in the White House belonged to President George W Bush and was named India or “Willie” as a nickname.

However, Mr W Bush was far from the only cat lover to be president.  

Abraham Lincoln was known as a major cat person having been gifted two cats, Tabby and Dixie, by Secretary of State William Seward who lived in the White House.

Bill Clinton’s cat, Socks, became one of the most well-known and beloved first cats with the black and white feline often gaining attention from the news media.

Other presidents have favoured more unusual pets during their time as president, with Theodore Roosevelt having been renowned for his atypical presidential menagerie.

In his family’s care were horses, dogs, a hyacinth macaw, kangaroo rats, five guinea pigs, a one-legged rooster, a badger and a green garter snake, according to the Presidential Pet Museum.

The family also owned a raccoon named Rebecca that became one of their most famous and beloved pets after initially being received as a gift intended to be served for Thanksgiving dinner.

President Herbert Hoover similarly adopted a wild opossum that gained significant attention after he strayed onto the property, according to the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum.

In the age of social media, however, it seems that even the most typical of pets gain a significant amount of love and attention from US citizens, as Champ and Major have both proved.

A fan Instagram account dedicated to both canines was launched under the name “first dogs USA” and already has over 60,000 followers, a number that can surely only grow if they welcome a feline family member to their ranks.