SEAToday.com, Jakarta-The inauguration of the 8th president of Indonesia, Prabowo Subianto, has an interesting side. His cat, Bobby Kertanegara, was upgraded. The 'gemoy' cat moved from Kertanegara to the Presidential Palace - the State Palace and Merdeka Palace.

Bobby, who was adopted in 2016, is like a presidential cat. But as it turns out, Bobby is not the only cat to inhabit the Presidential Palace. In the past, the President of the United States (US), Bill Clinton once brought his cat to the White House: Socks. What is the story of Socks and the US Presidents being able to bring their beloved pets to the White House?

The appearance of pets in the US Presidential Palace (White House) is nothing new. Whoever is the President of the US always has a pet. The presence of these pets is believed to be a symbol of masculinity. Later, wild animals were widely chosen.

The tradition of having pets dates back to the time of the first US President, George Washington. George was known to have many dogs. The trend continued during the reign of Theodore Roosevelt. The pets he brought to the White House included lions, hyenas, coyotes and black bears.

Times began to change when we entered the 1960s. Pets were no longer dominated by wild animals. Adorable pets are becoming a favorite to enter the White House. There are cats, there are dogs, there are also hamsters.

“Modern US presidents have, for the most part, mellowed out. They choose the companionship of dogs, cats and horses. Democratic presidents tend to favor cute pets. Besides his beloved canary, Kennedy had a rabbit named Zsa Zsa. Lyndon B Johnson had a hamster. Jimmy Carter had an adorable Siamese cat named Misty Malarky Ying Yang,” wrote Chris Flynn in his article on The Guardian's website entitled Lions, Tigers and Bears: the US Presidents Who Took Animal Ownership to Extremes, April 23, 2020.

Bill Clinton's cat

The trend of US Presidents bringing pets to the White House continues. Bill Clinton, who had just won the 2002 US presidential election, did not want to be left behind. The position as the number one person in the US made Bill Clinton bring his family to the White House.

However, it was not just Hillary Clinton (wife) and Chelsea Clinton (daughter) who were brought along. They also brought along a stray cat that their daughter had adopted. Socks. That's how the Clinton family named the cat. At first the cat did not immediately become the center of attention.

Socks is a typical feral cat. His fur is short and black and white in color. Every day Socks paces around the rooms of the White House with the authorization of his owner, the US President. He is often taken by the Clinton family everywhere. Sometimes, he also appears in the press conference room.

“Socks spent his first days at the White House mostly in the usher's office, relaxing in the window heater next to the desk. Then every morning Bill Clinton stopped by to see her on his way to the Oval Office - the office of the US President. Eventually Socks found warm perches around the White House, including near the basement furnace in winter,” said Bonnie Berkowitz in her article on The Washington Post entitled ‘Who Scoops the Litter Box?’ Answers about the Mysterious Lives of White House Cats, January 28, 2020.

The Clinton family's beloved cat became an important member of the White House. Socks became the US President's most famous pet. All the White House staff loved him. That love led to all employees having a feeding station for Socks.

They cleaned Socks' food dish and added to it. The activity continues as a form of gratitude for Socks' cheerful presence.

His Fans are Booming

Later, Socks' actions at the White House made international news. Photos of Socks began to adorn mass media around the world. Socks acted like a world celebrity. To top it off, Socks began to be loved by cat fans around the world.

Socks became a special figure. People who were hostile and disagreed with Bill Clinton's policies actually loved Socks. It's as if there's an unwritten narrative that says it's okay to have different choices in politics, but to love Socks is one thing.

Socks' influence was huge. Socks was the hunted reporter when they went to the White House. Anything Socks did was always in the camera shot. From the park to the president's chair, there was no place that wasn't a photo background for Socks.

Bill quickly reacted. He felt that Socks had a great influence. The White House started using Socks for soft power diplomacy. Socks had his own fan club and website.

This allowed cat lovers around the world to interact with Socks. The means of interaction also vary, some send letters, some send electronic mail - email.

It's no longer just one or two people sending letters. Socks can receive letters from hundreds of fans every year. The average message hopes to receive a reply from the White House and send a recent photo along with Socks' paw marks.

“Animal lovers of all ages, including admirers from the UK, Bangladesh and nearly 50 other countries, have written asking for photos and autographs of Socks' paws. In our lives, he has many pen pals. Together, Socks and Buddy (the dog) have received more than 300,000 letters and emails, as well as hundreds of handmade gifts,” Hillary Clinton said in Dear Socks, Dear Buddy: Kids' Letters to their First Pets (1998).

Socks continues to entertain the White House and the world. Socks also became the envy of cat lovers. The only thing that made Socks' existence fade in the White House was Bill's short-lived reign. Bill's stepping down was a disaster for Socks in 2001. He was temporarily abandoned.

Luckily, Bill's personal secretary Betty Currie was willing to take care of her until Socks finally passed away on February 20, 2009. Socks' passing brought deep sorrow to the world's cat lovers. Now, Socks is known as the luckiest cat in the world.

Writer: Vicky Octarina Arsandi