Top 8 Presidential Pets (4 of 5)

The Dedicated Team of Silkworms

Contrary to popular belief, John Quincy Adams never owned a pet alligator that lived in a bathtub. However, First Lady Louisa Catherine Adams did keep some unusual “pets” around. Specifically, she raised thousands of silkworms in the White House so that she could spin her own silk. The president noted that his wife took very good care of the silkworms and that she even had mulberry trees planted on the White House grounds in order to feed them.

Rebecca the Raccoon

Imagine being destined to become part of a White House Thanksgiving feast only to be pardoned and then adopted as a beloved pet instead. There was a time when it wasn’t unusual for raccoons to be eaten in the rural parts of the U.S., but the Coolidges weren’t particularly cool with that idea. Instead, he issued a holiday reprieve and took her in as a member of the First Family. For Christmas that year, she received an embroidered collar with the brass inscription: “Rebecca Raccoon of the White House.” She was given a tree house in the yard and free reign to roam around the White House halls as she pleased.