(AFP) – The Bidens’ dogs grabbed headlines with their bad behavior, but “First Feline” Willow is getting a book all to herself.
First Lady Jill Biden has written a children’s story about the short-haired tabby’s journey from a farm in Pennsylvania to the White House in 2022.
With a June publication date, “Willow the White House Cat” will come out four months before President Joe Biden faces a bitter political catfight for reelection with Donald Trump.
“As Willow bounds from room to room, exploring history in her new home, she learns quickly about all of the incredible people who make the ‘People’s House’ run,” Jill Biden said in a statement through publisher Simon and Schuster.
“Making many new friends along the way, Willow’s journey gives the world a ‘cats-eye’ view of all the ins and outs of America’s most famous address.”
Willow is the last remaining presidential pet at the White House after two of the Bidens’ dogs were removed following a series of biting incidents. Commander, a German Shepherd who arrived as a pup in 2021, was sent to live elsewhere after he bit several Secret Service agents. Another dog of the same breed, Major, went to live with family friends after similar biting incidents. The Bidens’ beloved dog Champ died in 2021 at the age of 13.
Meanwhile, Willow herself has political chops. Like Jill Biden, she hails from Pennsylvania, which will be a key battleground state in November’s election. She is named after the First Lady’s hometown, Willow Grove.
Jill Biden, 72, co-wrote the book with author Alyssa Satin Capucilli and illustrated by artist Kate Berube, the publishers said.
The White House has a long history of presidential pets — even if cats are a relative rarity — and a number of them had literary journeys. First Ladies Hillary Clinton and Barbara Bush both wrote books about their pets. Trump, who is aiming for a sensational White House comeback, was the first president since Andrew Jackson in the 1830s not to have pets. –
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