Socks (cat)
Encyclopedia
Socks was the pet
cat
of U.S. President Bill Clinton
's family during his presidency. An adopted stray cat, he was the only pet of the Clintons during the early years of the administration, and his likeness hosted the children's version of the White House website. After Clinton left office, Socks resided with former Clinton secretary Betty Currie
and her husband, due to continuing conflicts with the dog Buddy
.
while she was leaving the house of her piano teacher in Little Rock, Arkansas
, where he was playing with his sibling, Midnight. Midnight was later adopted by someone else.
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, though he was known to share his food and water with a stray tabby
, dubbed Slippers. 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.
He eventually lost the position of principal Clinton pet in 1997 when the Clintons acquired Buddy
, a Labrador Retriever
.
Socks found Buddy's intrusion intolerable; according to Hillary Clinton, Socks "despised Buddy from first sight, instantly and forever." Bill Clinton said, "I did better with ... the Palestinians
and the Israelis than I've done with Socks and Buddy." When the Clintons left the White House in 2001, in a controversial move they took Buddy to their new home, but left Socks under the care of Bill Clinton's secretary, Betty Currie
. Buddy would die within a year, being hit by a car in 2002.
In December 2002, Socks was part of the Little Rock Christmas parade.
In October 2004, Socks made a then-rare public appearance when Currie was guest speaker at an Officers' Spouses Club luncheon at Andrews Air Force Base
. Socks accompanied her and took part in a photo op
.
In June 2008, Socks was still living with Currie and her husband in Hollywood, Maryland
, about 80 miles from Washington, but had a thyroid condition, hair loss, weight loss, and kidney problems.
In December 2008, Socks was reported to be in failing health, apparently suffering from cancer.
Socks was euthanized
on February 20, 2009, in Hollywood, Maryland, after suffering cancer of the jaw. It was also estimated that Socks would have turned 20 in the spring of 2009, placing his birthdate in the spring of 1989 rather than 1990.
once publicly questioned the use of White House
staff, postage, and stationery to answer mail addressed to the cat.
Hillary Clinton wrote a children's book called Dear Socks, Dear Buddy: Kids' Letters to the First Pets in 1998. It included more than 50 letters written to the First Pets by children and more than 80 photographs of Socks and Buddy.
A cartoon 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.
Socks was a character in If...
, Steve Bell
's cartoon strip in The Guardian
, where he was described as the "world's most powerful cat", and as "Chief of Staff for Fish".
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. 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.
In 1996, Socks appeared on a series of stamps in the Central African Republic
with Bill Clinton.
On the 1994 Oscar Brand album "I love cats" there is a song dedicated to Socks, "Socks' Song"
In "Hillary Left Me For Dead," a University College, London blog entry published in 2001 and re-published by Daily Kos, Harvey the Rabbit supposedly reports for the Times Socks' interview revelations about Hillary Clinton inflicting tortures on him and ultimately shooting him.
In Berkeley Breathed
's comic strip Outland, Socks was involved in a homosexual affair with Bill the Cat
. They appeared together on a talk show, along with Checkers Nixon, Rex Reagan
, and Millie Bush
, on the topic of "Gay Presidential Pets."
The video clip for the song "Blister in the Sun
" by the band the Violent Femmes
, used in the movie Grosse Pointe Blank
, depicts an obsessive fan donning a Socks costume and attempting to assassinate Socks while he was speaking in public. Socks survived the incident unscathed while the would-be assassin was apprehended.
Socks was to be the subject of a canceled 1993 videogame entitled Socks the Cat Rocks the Hill
for the Super NES
and Sega Genesis
platforms.
In his announcement of the Next Generation Internet Initiative in 1996, Bill 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.”
Pet
A pet is a household animal kept for companionship and a person's enjoyment, as opposed to wild animals or to livestock, laboratory animals, working animals or sport animals, which are kept for economic or productive reasons. The most popular pets are noted for their loyal or playful...
cat
Cat
The cat , also known as the domestic cat or housecat to distinguish it from other felids and felines, is a small, usually furry, domesticated, carnivorous mammal that is valued by humans for its companionship and for its ability to hunt vermin and household pests...
of U.S. President Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
's family during his presidency. An adopted stray cat, he was the only pet of the Clintons during the early years of the administration, and his likeness hosted the children's version of the White House website. After Clinton left office, Socks resided with former Clinton secretary Betty Currie
Betty Currie
Betty Currie is the former personal secretary for Bill Clinton...
and her husband, due to continuing conflicts with the dog Buddy
Buddy (dog)
Buddy , a male chocolate-colored Labrador Retriever, was one of two pets owned by Bill Clinton while he was President of the United States. The Clintons' other pet was a cat named Socks.-Life:...
.
Biography
Socks was adopted by the Clintons in 1991 after he jumped into the arms of Chelsea ClintonChelsea Clinton
Chelsea Victoria Clinton is a television journalist, currently serving as Special Correspondent for NBC News, and philanthropist, working through the Clinton Global Initiative. She is the only child of former U.S...
while she was leaving the house of her piano teacher in Little Rock, Arkansas
Little Rock, Arkansas
Little Rock is the capital and the largest city of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 699,757 people in the 2010 census...
, where he was playing with his sibling, Midnight. Midnight was later adopted by someone else.
When Bill Clinton became President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
, Socks moved with the family from the governor's mansion
Arkansas Governor's Mansion
The Arkansas Governor's Mansion is the official residence of the Governor of Arkansas and his family. The mansion is located at 1800 Center Street in Little Rock, and is included in the Governor's Mansion Historic District, a district that is listed on the National Register of Historic...
to the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
and became the principal pet of the First Family
First Family of the United States
The First Family of the United States is the unofficial title for the family of the President of the United States, who is both head of state and head of government of the United States. Members of the First Family consist of the President, the First Lady of the United States, and any of their...
in Clinton's first term, though he was known to share his food and water with a stray tabby
Tabby cat
A tabby is any cat that has a distinctive coat that features stripes, dots, lines or swirling patterns, usually together with an "M" mark on its forehead. Tabbies are sometimes erroneously assumed to be a cat breed. In fact, the tabby pattern is found in many breeds of cat, as well as among the...
, dubbed Slippers. He was often taken to schools and hospitals. During the Clinton administration, children visiting the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
website
Website
A website, also written as Web site, web site, or simply site, is a collection of related web pages containing images, videos or other digital assets. A website is hosted on at least one web server, accessible via a network such as the Internet or a private local area network through an Internet...
would be guided by a cartoon version of Socks.
He eventually lost the position of principal Clinton pet in 1997 when the Clintons acquired Buddy
Buddy (dog)
Buddy , a male chocolate-colored Labrador Retriever, was one of two pets owned by Bill Clinton while he was President of the United States. The Clintons' other pet was a cat named Socks.-Life:...
, a Labrador Retriever
Labrador Retriever
The Labrador Retriever is one of several kinds of retriever, a type of gun dog. A breed characteristic is webbed paws for swimming, useful for the breed's original purpose of retrieving fishing nets. The Labrador is the most popular breed of dog by registered ownership in Canada, the United...
.
Socks found Buddy's intrusion intolerable; according to Hillary Clinton, Socks "despised Buddy from first sight, instantly and forever." Bill Clinton said, "I did better with ... the Palestinians
Palestinian people
The Palestinian people, also referred to as Palestinians or Palestinian Arabs , are an Arabic-speaking people with origins in Palestine. Despite various wars and exoduses, roughly one third of the world's Palestinian population continues to reside in the area encompassing the West Bank, the Gaza...
and the Israelis than I've done with Socks and Buddy." When the Clintons left the White House in 2001, in a controversial move they took Buddy to their new home, but left Socks under the care of Bill Clinton's secretary, Betty Currie
Betty Currie
Betty Currie is the former personal secretary for Bill Clinton...
. Buddy would die within a year, being hit by a car in 2002.
In December 2002, Socks was part of the Little Rock Christmas parade.
In October 2004, Socks made a then-rare public appearance when Currie was guest speaker at an Officers' Spouses Club luncheon at Andrews Air Force Base
Andrews Air Force Base
Joint Base Andrews is a United States military facility located in Prince George's County, Maryland. The facility is under the jurisdiction of the United States Air Force 11th Wing, Air Force District of Washington ....
. Socks accompanied her and took part in a photo op
Photo op
A photo op , short for photograph opportunity , is an opportunity to take a memorable and effective photograph of a politician, a celebrity, or a notable event...
.
In June 2008, Socks was still living with Currie and her husband in Hollywood, Maryland
Hollywood, Maryland
Hollywood is an unincorporated community located within St. Mary's County, Maryland. It was named in 1867, when a storeowner at Thompson's General Store near the Uniontown section of Hollywood required a name for the post office inside the store...
, about 80 miles from Washington, but had a thyroid condition, hair loss, weight loss, and kidney problems.
In December 2008, Socks was reported to be in failing health, apparently suffering from cancer.
Socks was euthanized
Animal euthanasia
Animal euthanasia is the act of putting to death painlessly or allowing to die, as by withholding extreme medical measures, an animal suffering from an incurable, especially a painful, disease or condition. Euthanasia methods are designed to cause minimal pain and distress...
on February 20, 2009, in Hollywood, Maryland, after suffering cancer of the jaw. It was also estimated that Socks would have turned 20 in the spring of 2009, placing his birthdate in the spring of 1989 rather than 1990.
Investigation
Republican Representative Dan BurtonDan Burton
Danny "Dan" Lee Burton is the U.S. Representative for , and previously the , serving since 1983. He is a member of the Republican Party....
once publicly questioned the use of White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
staff, postage, and stationery to answer mail addressed to the cat.
Cultural references
First LadyFirst Lady
First Lady or First Gentlemanis the unofficial title used in some countries for the spouse of an elected head of state.It is not normally used to refer to the spouse or partner of a prime minister; the husband or wife of the British Prime Minister is usually informally referred to as prime...
Hillary Clinton wrote a children's book called Dear Socks, Dear Buddy: Kids' Letters to the First Pets in 1998. It included more than 50 letters written to the First Pets by children and more than 80 photographs of Socks and Buddy.
A cartoon book called Socks Goes to Washington: The Diary of America's First Cat, written by Michael O'Donoghue
Michael O'Donoghue
Michael O'Donoghue was a writer and performer. He was known for his dark and destructive style of comedy and humor, was a major contributor to National Lampoon magazine, and was the first head writer of Saturday Night Live.-Childhood:O'Donoghue was born Michael Henry Donohue in Sauquoit, New York...
and Jean-Claude Suares
Jean-Claude Suarès
Jean-Claude Suares is a designer of books, magazines, and newspapers. Presently working with Inc., Fast Company, Variety, and Publishers Weekly.-Magazines:...
, was published in 1993.
Socks was a character in If...
If... (comic)
If... is an ongoing political comic strip which appears in the UK newspaper The Guardian, written and drawn by Steve Bell since its creation in 1982.-Style:...
, Steve Bell
Steve Bell (cartoonist)
Steve Bell is an English political cartoonist, whose work appears in The Guardian and other publications. He is known for his left-wing views and distinctive caricatures.-Early life:...
's cartoon strip in The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, where he was described as the "world's most powerful cat", and as "Chief of Staff for Fish".
Socks was featured prominently in an episode of the sitcom Murphy Brown
Murphy Brown
Murphy Brown is an American situation comedy which aired on CBS from November 14, 1988, to May 18, 1998, for a total of 247 episodes. The program starred Candice Bergen as the eponymous Murphy Brown, a famous investigative journalist and news anchor for FYI, a fictional CBS television...
in December 1993 entitled "Sox and the Single Girl," in which Socks is inadvertently removed from the White House during a press dinner. On the April 1, 1994, edition of Larry King Live
Larry King Live
Larry King Live is an American talk show hosted by Larry King on CNN from 1985 to 2010. It was CNN's most watched and longest-running program, with over one million viewers nightly....
, a Muppet version of Socks was a special guest interviewed by Kermit the Frog
Kermit the Frog
Kermit the Frog is puppeteer Jim Henson's most famous Muppet creation, first introduced in 1955. He is the protagonist of many Muppet projects, most notably as the host of The Muppet Show, and has appeared in various sketches on Sesame Street, in commercials and in public service announcements over...
, who was guest hosting for Larry King
Larry King
Lawrence Harvey "Larry" King is an American television and radio host whose work has been recognized with awards including two Peabodys and ten Cable ACE Awards....
at the time.
In 1996, Socks appeared on a series of stamps in the Central African Republic
Central African Republic
The Central African Republic , is a landlocked country in Central Africa. It borders Chad in the north, Sudan in the north east, South Sudan in the east, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of the Congo in the south, and Cameroon in the west. The CAR covers a land area of about ,...
with Bill Clinton.
On the 1994 Oscar Brand album "I love cats" there is a song dedicated to Socks, "Socks' Song"
In "Hillary Left Me For Dead," a University College, London blog entry published in 2001 and re-published by Daily Kos, Harvey the Rabbit supposedly reports for the Times Socks' interview revelations about Hillary Clinton inflicting tortures on him and ultimately shooting him.
In Berkeley Breathed
Berkeley Breathed
Guy Berkeley "Berke" Breathed is an American cartoonist, children's book author/illustrator, director and screenwriter, best known for Bloom County, a 1980s cartoon-comic strip that dealt with sociopolitical issues as understood by fanciful characters and through humorous analogies...
's comic strip Outland, Socks was involved in a homosexual affair with Bill the Cat
Bill the Cat
Bill the Cat, or Bill D. Cat, according to the final Outland strip, is a fictional cat appearing in the works of cartoonist Berkeley Breathed, beginning with the comic strip Bloom County in the 1980s and continuing in Outland and Opus in the following decades...
. They appeared together on a talk show, along with Checkers Nixon, Rex Reagan
Rex (dog)
Rex was a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel owned by Ronald Reagan and his wife Nancy during his term as President of the United States.-Early life:...
, and Millie Bush
Millie (dog)
Mildred "Millie" Kerr Bush was the pet springer spaniel of Barbara and George H. W. Bush. She was named for Mildred Caldwell Kerr, a long-time friend of the Bushes, which is also the name of Kerr's granddaughter, Millie Kerr....
, on the topic of "Gay Presidential Pets."
The video clip for the song "Blister in the Sun
Blister in the Sun
"Blister in the Sun" is a song by the American alternative rock band Violent Femmes, originally released on their 1983 self-titled debut album. It has also been covered by Nouvelle Vague, on their 2009 album 3. This version was used in an episode Gossip Girl.In August 2007, Gordon Gano was the...
" by the band the Violent Femmes
Violent Femmes
Violent Femmes were an American alternative rock band from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, initially active between 1980 and 1987 and again from 1988 to 2009...
, used in the movie Grosse Pointe Blank
Grosse Pointe Blank
Grosse Pointe Blank is a 1997 American Black comedy film, directed by George Armitage, and starring John Cusack and Minnie Driver.In 2000, readers of Total Film magazine voted Grosse Pointe Blank the 21st greatest comedy film of all time. The film's soundtrack features mainly independent music hits...
, depicts an obsessive fan donning a Socks costume and attempting to assassinate Socks while he was speaking in public. Socks survived the incident unscathed while the would-be assassin was apprehended.
Socks was to be the subject of a canceled 1993 videogame entitled Socks the Cat Rocks the Hill
Socks the Cat Rocks the Hill
Socks the Cat Rocks the Hill is an unreleased video game for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System and the Sega Genesis.-Summary:This video game stars Socks, the pet cat of 42nd US President Bill Clinton, and his family, in a platforming adventure in which he has to make his way past spies,...
for the Super NES
Super Nintendo Entertainment System
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System is a 16-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia , and South America between 1990 and 1993. In Japan and Southeast Asia, the system is called the , or SFC for short...
and Sega Genesis
Sega Mega Drive
The Sega Genesis is a fourth-generation video game console developed and produced by Sega. It was originally released in Japan in 1988 as , then in North America in 1989 as Sega Genesis, and in Europe, Australia and other PAL regions in 1990 as Mega Drive. The reason for the two names is that...
platforms.
In his announcement of the Next Generation Internet Initiative in 1996, Bill 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.”
