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I know my most pressing presidential discussion is usually "Americans used to send possums, both alive and dead, to Taft as a joke and it became a thing" but can we talk about how Congress made Van Buren get rid of his pet tigers?
The Sultan of Oman gave him two tiger cubs and Martin was gonna keep them until Congress was like, "These are for everyone" and made him give them to a zoo.
What was his game plan prior to Congress stepping in?
What was his game plan prior to Congress stepping in?
They really used to send Taft possums. https://twitter.com/ItsTheBrandi/status/1106240121777594369
Also, Woodrow Wilson had a tobacco chewing ram that used to hang out on the White House lawn. His name was Old Ike. http://www.presidentialpetmuseum.com/pets/woodrow-wilson-ram-old-ike/
William McKinley had a parrot named Washington Post. I...just...what? http://www.presidentialpetmuseum.com/william-mckinleys-washington-post-1
"Times were tumultuous for Johnson during his impeachment period...one business was a flour and grain mill, and when Johnson discovered the family of white mice in his bedroom, he used flour and grain from these mills to feed them."
This whole article http://www.presidentialpetmuseum.com/andrew-johnsons-mice/
This whole article http://www.presidentialpetmuseum.com/andrew-johnsons-mice/
John Quincy Adams kept an alligator in the bathroom near the East Room of the White House. What kind of Florida Man nonsense.... http://www.presidentialpetmuseum.com/blog/alligators-in-the-white-house/
John Quincy Adam's wife Louisa was miserable and befriended silkworms. I'm losing my mind. http://www.presidentialpetmuseum.com/john-quincy-adams-silkworms/
Anyway back to Martin and his tigers. Overflow caption: "Van Buren countered that the cubs had been sent âto the Presidentâ, which he now was. In the end, despite Van Burenâs efforts, the cubs were confiscated by Congress and sent to the local zoo."
http://www.presidentialpetmuseum.com/martin-van-burens-tigers/
http://www.presidentialpetmuseum.com/martin-van-burens-tigers/
John Tyler had a canary named Johnny Ty who died after the Tylers were bad at matchmaking.
http://www.presidentialpetmuseum.com/john-tylers-johnny-ty/
http://www.presidentialpetmuseum.com/john-tylers-johnny-ty/
Hold on, people used to mail all kinds of stuff to presidents. Someone sent Truman and dog and he gave it away and then America got mad! http://www.presidentialpetmuseum.com/pets/feller/
Hold on. A possum wandered onto the Hoover.white house grounds and moved into the raccoon pen Coolidge had.
Hoover loaned out the possum.
This man was an animal hoarder.
https://blogs.loc.gov/folklife/2019/08/of-possums-and-presidents-some-presidential-encounters-with-opossums/
Hoover loaned out the possum.
This man was an animal hoarder.
https://blogs.loc.gov/folklife/2019/08/of-possums-and-presidents-some-presidential-encounters-with-opossums/
Teddy Roosevelt had Booker T. Washington over for dinner and white people lost their mind and sent Roosevelt a possum named Booker Washington. Or maybe a black person sent it. Who knows!
There is so much underreported possum history.
https://blogs.loc.gov/folklife/2019/09/politics-and-possum-feasts-presidents-who-ate-opossums/
There is so much underreported possum history.
https://blogs.loc.gov/folklife/2019/09/politics-and-possum-feasts-presidents-who-ate-opossums/
There's a sub-heading called Taft and the Possum Feast and that's all you need to know.
It's glorious.
https://blogs.loc.gov/folklife/2019/09/politics-and-possum-feasts-presidents-who-ate-opossums/
It's glorious.
https://blogs.loc.gov/folklife/2019/09/politics-and-possum-feasts-presidents-who-ate-opossums/
Imagine getting into a fight with Congress about keeping tigers at the White House. That's strong 2020 energy from Martin Van Buren.
Grace Coolidge showing off the Coolidge's pet raccoon Rebecca to kids at the Easter Egg Roll.
https://www.loc.gov/resource/cph.3c31302/
https://www.loc.gov/resource/cph.3c31302/
Here's Hoover's alleged possum. I'm surprised we haven't had a cat colony at the White House.
https://www.loc.gov/item/2016843743/
https://www.loc.gov/item/2016843743/
Anyway, Andrew Johnson befriending mice while being impeached is the most "Capitol Critters"/"An American Tail" thing.
I'd watch a Disney movie about the mice that had to deal with sad Andrew bothering them.
I'd watch a Disney movie about the mice that had to deal with sad Andrew bothering them.
Me, hours later:
She befriended silkworms.
She befriended silkworms.
Calvin Coolidge should've been a zookeeper.
Coolidge gave the president of the National Press Club his bird because it was friends with the NPC president's cat. I do not know how they became friends.
https://www.loc.gov/item/2016862634
Coolidge gave the president of the National Press Club his bird because it was friends with the NPC president's cat. I do not know how they became friends.
https://www.loc.gov/item/2016862634
Calvin Coolidge's personal secretary brought his dog to work in little boots. This White House was chaotic.
https://www.loc.gov/item/2016888683/
https://www.loc.gov/item/2016888683/
I'm never going to stop thinking about how Cal was like, "My bird and your cat are friends, so you should keep my bird" TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE PRESS CLUB.
Did the press also bring their pets to work? Did Coolidge go to journalists house with a bird?
Did the press also bring their pets to work? Did Coolidge go to journalists house with a bird?
This picture of Mrs. Coolidge holding the family raccoon is the best portrait of a First Lady that I have ever seen. Do not @ me.
https://www.loc.gov/item/90714615/
https://www.loc.gov/item/90714615/
Yes, it appears that the president of the National Press Club brought his took his cat to work with him. And that cat befriended Calvin Coolidge's bird.
Incredible.
https://petcemeterystories.net/2018/04/05/timmie-the-cat/#more-162
Incredible.
https://petcemeterystories.net/2018/04/05/timmie-the-cat/#more-162
Just to recap how I ended up here:
1. I was taking a break from writing
2. Checked out the presidential pets page and wondered how Congress took Van Buren's tigers.
3. Learned more about presidential possums.
4. Discovered Calvin Coolidge was Dr. Doolittle.
1. I was taking a break from writing
2. Checked out the presidential pets page and wondered how Congress took Van Buren's tigers.
3. Learned more about presidential possums.
4. Discovered Calvin Coolidge was Dr. Doolittle.
Okay, I'm done. Unless I am not.
Update: the Coolidges took the raccoon on vacation to South Dakota. https://twitter.com/sarahdcady/status/1220923862428323841
Great moments in pandering to black people: possum-n-taters. https://blogs.loc.gov/folklife/2019/09/politics-and-possum-feasts-presidents-who-ate-opossums/
That whole section is...whew...something.
