Originally published 2022-02-07.
Willow is a gray shorthaired tabby who moved into the White House with Joe and Jill Biden in January 2022. Jill Biden first met her in 2020, when the cat walked onto the stage during a campaign speech at a Pennsylvania farm and interrupted her remarks. The farm's owner decided the two belonged together, and the Bidens announced Willow's arrival on 28 January 2022. She was named after Willow Grove, the Pennsylvania town where Jill Biden grew up, and she became the first cat in the White House since the George W. Bush years.
Here is the full story of how a farm cat became "First Cat", what the Bidens' other pets were up to, and where Willow sits in the long line of presidential animals.
How Willow met Jill Biden
During the 2020 presidential campaign, Jill Biden spoke at a campaign stop on a farm in western Pennsylvania. Partway through, a small tabby hopped up onto the stage and wandered over to her, as if to introduce herself. The moment was brief, but the farm's owner noticed how quickly the two seemed to bond and later offered the cat to the Bidens.
Reports name the farm as belonging to Rick Telesz in Volant, a small borough in Lawrence County. The Bidens had said during the campaign that they hoped to bring a cat into the White House, and Willow became the answer. For a time after the election she reportedly stayed with Michael LaRosa, Jill Biden's press secretary, before settling into her new home.
The White House announcement
On Friday, 28 January 2022, the First Lady's office introduced Willow to the public. Jill Biden posted a photo on Twitter with a simple caption, and the White House shared more pictures of the cat exploring the residence. LaRosa told reporters that Willow had made quite an impression on Dr. Biden in 2020, and that she was settling in with her favourite toys and treats, and plenty of room to explore.
Meet Willow!💕 pic.twitter.com/Gl3SnsMnvW
— Jill Biden (@FLOTUS) January 28, 2022
The announcement was warmly received. In a period dominated by the pandemic and political division, a cat with an origin story about interrupting a speech was a small piece of good news that people across the spectrum could enjoy.
Why she is called Willow
Willow is named after Willow Grove, a suburb north of Philadelphia. Jill Biden was born in Hammonton, New Jersey, in 1951, but her family moved several times when she was young and settled in Willow Grove in 1961. She has often described it as her hometown.
The name is a nice reminder that the cat and the First Lady are both Pennsylvanians at heart, even though the farm where they met is on the other side of the state from Willow Grove.
The Bidens' other pets
Willow joined a household that had seen a lot of change in a short time:
- Champ, a German Shepherd the Bidens had owned since 2008, died in June 2021 at the age of 13.
- Major, a German Shepherd adopted from a Delaware shelter, was the first shelter dog to live in the White House. After several biting incidents he was moved to live with family friends in 2021, where the Bidens said he would have a quieter life.
- Commander, a German Shepherd puppy given to the president by his brother, arrived in December 2021. Willow was introduced into a home with this energetic young dog.
Commander's story did not end smoothly. Later reports documented a long series of biting incidents involving Secret Service officers, and he was moved out of the White House in late 2023 to live with relatives. Willow, by contrast, kept a calm profile and stayed with the family through the end of the term. Jill Biden even wrote a children's picture book about her, published in 2024.
Willow among White House pets
Presidents have kept everything from dogs and cats to horses, birds and the occasional alligator. Cats have been less common than dogs, which made Willow's arrival notable.
- Socks, a black-and-white tuxedo cat, lived with the Clintons in the 1990s and famously did not get along with their Labrador, Buddy.
- India, also called Willie, was the Bush family's black cat. She died in January 2009, shortly before the Bushes left office, which made Willow the first presidential cat in about thirteen years.
- Bo and Sunny, two Portuguese Water Dogs, lived with the Obamas. The breed was chosen partly because of Malia Obama's allergies.
- Rex, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, was one of Ronald Reagan's dogs in the 1980s.
- Fido, Abraham Lincoln's dog, stayed behind in Illinois when Lincoln moved to Washington. He was killed by a drunk man with a knife a few months after Lincoln's assassination in 1865.
Donald Trump had no pets during his first term. He is one of only a few presidents with no animals in the White House, along with James K. Polk and Andrew Johnson (who is said to have fed mice he found in his room).
Why presidential pets matter to people
It is easy to dismiss stories like this as trivia, but pets have long played a real role in how presidents are seen. They soften a public image, give photographers something friendly to capture, and remind people that the most scrutinised home in the country is still a home.
Willow's story also carries a quieter message about adoption. She was not bought from a breeder; she was a farm cat who chose her person. Animal shelters in the US care for millions of cats and dogs every year, and many of them are ordinary, affectionate animals waiting for the right household. If Willow's story makes you think about adding a cat to your family, your local shelter or rescue is a good place to start, and a vet can help you plan the first few weeks.
Willow's time as First Cat ended when the Bidens left the White House on 20 January 2025, closing a three-year run as one of the most popular residents of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
Sources: Wikipedia: Willow (cat); Wikipedia: United States presidential pets; Wikipedia: Jill Biden; My Modern Met (January 2022); Jill Biden (@FLOTUS) on X/Twitter.
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