Does President Trump Need A Pet?
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What’s the story?
There is a long, storied history of presidential pets, including cats, dogs, birds, horses, cows and even an alligator. Seriously, President John Quincy Adams had an alligator, and some silkworms. Clearly, he was not into cuddles.
When former President Obama didn’t have a pet it was considered practically unpresidential. But daughter Malia was allergic, so selecting the right breed was important. Portuguese water dog Bo Obama joined the family in 2009, and was followed by another Portuguese water dog, Sunny, in 2013.
Why does it matter?
Every president for the last 130 years has had pets of one kind or another. Modern presidents have tended towards dogs and, occasionally, cats. President Lyndon B. Johnson had a set of beagles, named Him and Her, who famously garnered Johnson unwanted criticism when he picked them up by their ears. The practice, insisted former President Harry S. Truman at the time, was standard, "What the hell are the critics complaining about; that's how you handle hounds."
But the most camera-worthy presidential pets in recent memory have to be President George W. Bush’s two Scottish Terriers, Barney and Mrs. Beazley, who were featured in a series of White House Christmas videos:
Presidential pets is a hallowed tradition, so we here at Countable want to encourage you to weigh in about what pet would best suit the Trumps. We’ve got some suggestions to get the discussion started.
A Dog
It’s a classic! But what kind? We’re fans of mutts, but we’re guessing pure breeds are more up the president’s alley. Say, a pitbull?
A Cat
The president has expressed a fondness for...kitties. You just reach out and touch them. They let you do it.
A Shark
If John Quincy Adams can have an alligator, why can’t Trump have a shark? He’s probably not using the White House pool anyway, and he doesn’t seem prone to track suits.
A Parrot
President James Madison had a parrot. They are long-lived, extremely intelligent and tend to repeat things they hear repetitively. President Trump could name it Twitter, the Tweeter-in-Chief. Fake News! Fake News! Fake News!
A Goat
It’s true that several presidents have counted goats among their pets, but I just wanted to include this gif. They could take care of the White House lawn, though.
So, what do you say, CountaCats?
— Asha Sanaker
(Photo Credit: Wikipedia / Creative Commons)
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