Socks

Socks was the most famous cat in America during the 1990s — a black-and-white tuxedo cat who lived in the White House and charmed the nation.

Socks started life as a stray. Chelsea Clinton found him when he was a kitten, and the family adopted him. He was a lucky cat: within a year, his owner was president, and Socks moved into the most famous house in America.

Socks handled fame like a pro. He prowled the White House hallways, attended state dinners (well, the parts that were cat-appropriate), and even had his own fan mail. Children wrote to him from all over the world. He was featured in newspapers, magazines, and even had his own page on the White House website — one of the first presidential pets on the internet.

Life was good until 1997, when the Clintons adopted a Labrador retriever named Buddy. Socks and Buddy did not get along. The rivalry became famous — a cat vs. dog drama playing out in the White House. The two had to be kept separate, and the tension was real enough to be mentioned in the president's memoirs.

When the Clintons left the White House in 2001, Socks went to live with Betty Currie, the president's secretary, who had always been his favorite human. He lived a happy retirement in Maryland until he passed away in 2009 at the age of 18.