Most people remember the excitement when the Obamas welcomed Bo, a Portuguese water dog, to the White House — and later his companion Sunny. Everyone recalls Socks the cat being so hounded by photographers during the Clinton years that the family had to formally request the press leave her alone. And Queen Elizabeth II’s lifelong devotion to Pembroke Welsh corgis is the stuff of legend.

But the history of powerful people and their beloved pets goes much deeper — and gets considerably stranger. It turns out the leaders we admire share something fundamental with the rest of us: a genuine love for animals.

Presidential Pets: A Long and Eccentric Tradition

The American presidency has a rich tradition of animals in the White House, and it started early. George Washington was a passionate dog breeder who kept dozens of hounds at Mount Vernon and is credited with helping develop the American Foxhound breed.

Thomas Jefferson kept two grizzly bear cubs on the White House lawn for a time — a gift from the Lewis and Clark expedition. John Quincy Adams kept a pet alligator in the East Room. Theodore Roosevelt’s children practically ran a zoo that included a badger, a one-legged rooster, snakes, guinea pigs, and a pony named Algonquin that once rode the White House elevator to visit a sick child.

Calvin Coolidge took presidential pets to another level. His collection included a pygmy hippopotamus named Billy, lion cubs, a wallaby, a black bear, and a raccoon named Rebecca who walked on a leash around the White House grounds.

Abraham Lincoln kept goats at the White House, and his sons were known for letting them roam freely through the executive mansion — including at least one memorable incident involving a goat and a state dinner.

Churchill’s Cat and Other British Companions

Winston Churchill’s relationship with his marmalade cat, Jock, is one of the most enduring pet stories in British political history. Churchill was so attached to Jock that the cat attended war cabinet meetings, had a special chair at the dining table, and Churchill insisted that meals not begin until Jock was present. When Churchill donated his home, Chartwell, to the National Trust, one of the conditions was that a marmalade cat named Jock always live on the property. As of today, Jock VII continues that tradition.

Larry the cat has served as Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office at 10 Downing Street since 2011, outlasting multiple prime ministers. His official title is no joke — there has been a designated Downing Street cat in some form since the 1500s.

Worldwide Leaders and Their Animals

Finland’s former president Sauli Niinistö’s Boston Terrier, Lennu, became a national celebrity and even had an official Instagram following. Russia’s Vladimir Putin has been photographed with a Labrador, an Akita, and a Bulgarian Shepherd, among others — several of which were diplomatic gifts from other heads of state.

Andrew Jackson’s pet parrot, Poll, reportedly had to be removed from Jackson’s funeral because it wouldn’t stop swearing. The bird had apparently picked up Jackson’s colorful vocabulary over the years.

Why It Matters

The bond between leaders and their pets humanizes figures who can otherwise seem distant and untouchable. Research consistently shows that living with animals lowers stress, reduces blood pressure, and strengthens empathy. Seeing a president on the floor with a dog or a prime minister delayed by a cat’s dinner schedule reminds us that the people in power share something deeply ordinary with the rest of us: the simple, uncomplicated love of an animal.

From Washington’s foxhounds to Churchill’s Jock to the Obamas’ Bo, the history of leadership is also, quietly, a history of companionship.