Socks

Socks was a black-and-white tuxedo cat who lived in the White House throughout Bill Clinton's presidency, from 1993 to 2001, making him one of the most photographed cats in American history. He was discovered as a stray kitten by Chelsea Clinton, who brought him home, and he quickly became a media favourite — receiving more fan mail than President Clinton in some periods and starring in his own White House website (one of the first animal web presences of the internet era). Socks was known for a complicated relationship with the Clintons' Labrador, Buddy — the two famously disliked each other, leading to separate living arrangements within the White House. When Clinton left office, Socks remained with Clinton's former secretary Betty Currie, who cared for him until he died of oral cancer in February 2009. He had a book written about him (Socks Goes to Washington), was the subject of a Nintendo Game Boy game, and served as the public face of a White House programme to encourage children to write letters to their elected representatives.