Socks (cat)

Socks Clinton (c. 1989 – February 20, 2009) was the pet cat of the Clinton family, the first family of the United States from 1993 to 2001. An adopted stray, he was the pet of the Clintons during the administration, and his likeness hosted the children's version of the White House website, alongside the Clintons' dog, Buddy.^[1] After President Clinton left office, Socks resided with former Clinton secretary Betty Currie and her husband, owing to continuing conflicts with Buddy.^[2]^[3]^[4]

Other namesFirst Cat, First Cat of the United States

SpeciesCat

BreedDomestic short-haired cat

SexMale

Quick facts Other names, Species ...

Socks
Socks in 1994
Other names	First Cat, First Cat of the United States
Species	Cat
Breed	Domestic short-haired cat
Sex	Male
Born	c. 1989 Little Rock, Arkansas, U.S.
Died	February 20, 2009 (aged 20) Hollywood, Maryland, U.S.
Cause of death	Euthanasia due to jaw cancer.
Occupation	First Cat of the United States (1993 – 2001) First Cat of Arkansas (1991 – 92)
Predecessor	Cleo and Sara
Successor	India
Owners	Clinton family (1991 – 2001) Betty Currie (2001 – 2009)
Appearance	Black-and-white tuxedo

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Biography

Socks was likely born in early 1989, based on a veterinarian's estimate that he would have turned 20 in early 2009.^[5] He was originally a stray and was adopted by the Clintons in 1991 after he jumped into the arms of Chelsea Clinton as she was leaving the house of her piano teacher in Little Rock, Arkansas, where he was playing with his sibling, Midnight, who was later adopted by another family.^[2]^[6] His name was inspired by his white paws,^[7] which resembled those of the title character of the Beverly Cleary novel Socks.^[8]

When Bill Clinton became president, Socks moved with the family from the governor's mansion to the White House and became the principal pet of the First Family in Clinton's first term.^[2] He was often taken to schools and hospitals. During the Clinton administration, children visiting the White House website would be guided by a cartoon version of Socks.^[1]

Bill Clinton later lamented, "I did better with the Palestinians and the Israelis than I've done with Socks and Buddy."^[9] When the Clintons left the White House in 2001, Buddy was taken to their new home, but left Socks under the care of Bill Clinton's secretary, Betty Currie.^[2] Buddy would die within a year, being hit by a car in 2002.^[10]

By June 2008, Socks was still living with Currie and her husband in Hollywood, Maryland, about 60 miles from Washington, but had a thyroid condition, hair and weight loss, and kidney disease.^[2]

Death

In December 2008, Socks was reported to be in failing health, apparently suffering from cancer.^[11] Socks was euthanized on February 20, 2009, in Hollywood, Maryland,^[12] after suffering cancer of the jaw.^[5] Time had an obituary of Socks in its milestones section.^[13]

Investigation

Indiana Representative Dan Burton, then the chairman of the House Oversight Committee, once publicly questioned the use of White House staff, postage, and stationery to answer mail addressed to the cat.^[14]

Cultural references

First Lady Hillary Clinton carried a Socks-shaped minaudière to the 1997 Inaugural Ball. Designed by Judith Leiber, famous for her whimsically shaped, rhinestone-encrusted evening bags, it is currently on display at the Amsterdam Museum of Bags and Purses.^[15]
Hillary Clinton wrote a children's book called Dear Socks, Dear Buddy: Kids' Letters to the First Pets in 1998^[16] whose proceeds went to the National Park Foundation.
A comic book called Socks Goes to Washington: The Diary of America's First Cat, written by Michael O'Donoghue and Jean-Claude Suares, was published in 1993.^[17]
Socks was featured prominently in an episode of the sitcom Murphy Brown in December 1993 entitled "Sox and the Single Girl," in which Socks is inadvertently removed from the White House during a press dinner.^[18]
On the April 1, 1994, edition of Larry King Live, a Muppet version of Socks was a special guest interviewed by Kermit the Frog, who was guest hosting for Larry King at the time.^[19]
Socks was to be the subject of a canceled 1993 video game entitled Socks the Cat Rocks the Hill for the Super NES and Sega Genesis platforms.^[20] The game was released in 2018.^{[citation needed]}
In his announcement of the Next Generation Internet Program in 1996, President Clinton said, "When I took office, only high energy physicists had ever heard of what is called the World Wide Web. Now even my cat has its own page."^[21]
Steve Bell's long running cartoon series If... in The Guardian included Socks as a recurring character with more influence on politics than is generally assumed.^[22]
The women's clothing brand Soccx, produced by the German company Clinton Großhandels-GmbH, was named after Socks. The company's other brands, Camp David and Chelsea, are also references to the Clintons.^[23]