"Now, even my cat has its own page."--Bill Clinton

August 27, 2019 11:58 AM

From the moment in 1991 when he jumped into a young Chelsea Clinton's arms after her piano lesson [citation needed], Socks the cat led a charmed life.

From inspiring White House christmas ornaments and inaugural purses, to being pursued by paparazzi, to starring in Dear Socks, Dear Buddy (though not everyone appreciated him answering fan letters), to having his own fan club and t-shirts, to portrayals on Murphy Brown, Eek! the Cat, and a Grosse Point Blank video for 'Blister in the Sun', to being interviewed by Kermit the Frog on Larry King Live, Socks was as famous as a '90s cat could be--bigger than Snowball and Stimpy put together. But when chocolate Lab Buddy entered the picture (Clinton: "I did better with the Israelis and Palestinians than I have done with Socks and Buddy"), Socks' White House days were numbered. After being adopted to longtime Clinton secretary Betty Currie in 2001, he lived a mostly quiet life (though he did headline Little Rock's 2002 Christmas parade), eventually succumbing to cancer. Socks was euthanized in 2009 at an estimated 20 years old. In 2017, the long-delayed Super Nintendo game Socks the Cat Rocks the Hill was released after a Kickstarter campaign. The next cat to reside in the White House was India, sometimes called "Willie," who belonged to George W. and Laura Bush.

posted by box (20 comments total)

Aw, Socks! So cute. A good Presidential pet.

Although I cannot find the link, there is a Bloom County featuring Socks with Bill the Cat (I think Socks was gay and dating Bill?). It might have been a one-off buried in one of the collections.
posted by emjaybee at 12:02 PM on August 27, 2019 [3 favorites]

My initial thought was 'What, an obit ? Socks is dead ? -- hey, wait a minute... I've heard of cats living to 30 but this is pushing it.'

Well, just from the proverbial 'To dogs, men are gods -- to cats, convenient ...at times,' I doubt the White House has a resident feline at present.
posted by y2karl at 12:36 PM on August 27, 2019 [1 favorite]

The first thing I ever did on the internets was to download a picture of Socks from the Whitehouse webpage and print it out.
posted by octothorpe at 12:42 PM on August 27, 2019 [21 favorites]

I have a letter from Socks the Cat. One of my most prized possessions.
posted by all about eevee at 12:52 PM on August 27, 2019 [14 favorites]

I have a letter from Socks the Cat. One of my most prized possessions.

This is nice! Far less nice was Dan Burton's threat to challenge Socks' franking privileges (from the "not everyone" link). Christ, what an asshole.
posted by cheapskatebay at 1:01 PM on August 27, 2019 [1 favorite]

Although I cannot find the link, there is a Bloom County featuring Socks with Bill the Cat (I think Socks was gay and dating Bill?). It might have been a one-off buried in one of the collections.

It was Outland rather than Bloom County.

(Found because of another MeFi post. Thanks to oneswellfoop.)
posted by dlugoczaj at 1:07 PM on August 27, 2019 [4 favorites]

I had a Socks shirt that I got from winning a local writing contest to visit DC landmarks and meet with the president. Fun trip.
posted by The_Vegetables at 1:12 PM on August 27, 2019 [3 favorites]

Thanks for the post. Socks was the raddest Presidential pet ever.
posted by porn in the woods at 1:36 PM on August 27, 2019

Republican Dan Burton of Indiana, when he wasn't shooting cantaloupes in his back yard to prove that Hillary murdered Vincent Foster, also launched an investigation into the scandal of who paid the postage for postcards from the White House in reply to small children who wrote letters to Socks.

Yes, Republicans have been deranged by the Clintons for over 30 years.
posted by JackFlash at 1:40 PM on August 27, 2019 [17 favorites]

→ Socks was the raddest Presidential pet ever.

Nah, that has to be Rebecca.
posted by scruss at 1:43 PM on August 27, 2019 [6 favorites]

Poor Billy the Pygmy Hippo. The other cool pet of Calvin Coolidge.
posted by all about eevee at 1:52 PM on August 27, 2019

I also dig Gerald Ford's daughter Susan's meezer, Shan Shein
posted by porn in the woods at 2:53 PM on August 27, 2019 [1 favorite]

-- Socks was the raddest Presidential pet ever.
 
Nah, that has to be Rebecca.

A raccoon for Thanksgiving dinner ? For reals ? Well, I never... Talk about slim pickin's.
posted by y2karl at 3:52 PM on August 27, 2019 [1 favorite]

I have an official picture postcard of Socks from the White House somewhere. Can't remember how I got it but I think anybody could by sending a request. Maybe this is what all about eevee has also.
posted by Rash at 4:03 PM on August 27, 2019

In a late life interview, Walter Cronkite recounted the time he ran into Bill Clinton in a New York department store and Clinton asked Cronkite what would be a good Christmas present for Hillary and Cronkite answered, Socks.
Cronkite said that Clinton looked horrified and then Cronkite remembered Socks was the name of their cat.

A very surreal story.

(It might have been running into Hillary and asking for Bill.)
posted by dances_with_sneetches at 4:20 PM on August 27, 2019 [1 favorite]

I was always a big Socks fan
Tuxies are pretty awesome.
posted by The Underpants Monster at 10:36 PM on August 27, 2019 [1 favorite]

Tuxies and tennies, too. Not to mention Tyler.
posted by y2karl at 12:50 PM on August 28, 2019 [1 favorite]

Don't forget Amy Carter's meezer, Misty Malarky Ying Yang
posted by porn in the woods at 1:21 PM on August 28, 2019 [1 favorite]

That picture of an older Socks being held is the sweetest thing. A lot of love there.
posted by vibratory manner of working at 9:58 PM on August 28, 2019 [2 favorites]

the picture of socks on clinton's shoulder is one of my favorites. as a kid (12 when he was elected) i was SOOOOOOO excited there was a cat in the white house!
posted by misanthropicsarah at 11:47 AM on August 29, 2019 [1 favorite]