He bought a cat carrier, moved Willow into his apartment and made arrangements for friends and family to watch her when he traveled with the first lady. Plus, the Bidens themselves were still trying to figure out the rhythms of their new life. After the Bidens adopted Willow from a Pennsylvania farm, not only did she have to learn to be an indoor cat, she also had to adjust to a new name (her previous owners called her Tommi, “Mi” for short) and to sharing space with large dogs with behavioral problems. And while cat enthusiasts breathed a sigh of relief, some lingering questions remained: Where had Willow been all this time and who was the loving foster parent the first lady spoke of? More significantly, why had it taken so long to get the cat into the actual White House?Īccording to multiple former White House staffers familiar with the arrangement, Willow spent the first year of her life in Washington living with the first lady’s then-press secretary, MICHAEL LAROSA.Īs it turns out, the president’s German shepherds were not the only pets having a difficult transition. Still, it wasn’t until January 2022 when the White House announced that WILLOW, a gray shorthair tabby cat, had joined the first family. Jill Biden confirmed that a cat had been adopted but also said it was being fostered by “somebody who loves the cat.” Finally, buried in a September 2021 New York Times interview with the first lady, a hint on the cat’s status emerged. “I don’t have any update on the cat,” Psaki would say over and over again.Īs time dragged on, the mystery surrounding the status of the cat grew, with the White House disclosing very little. Then-press secretary JEN PSAKI was repeatedly peppered for cat updates. BUSH was in office, and the internet and the press corps (apparently both full of cat lovers) were intent on holding her to it. JILL BIDEN had mentioned during the 2020 campaign that she wanted to bring a cat back to the White House for the first time since GEORGE W. Send tips | Subscribe here | Email Eli | Email Laurenįor the first year of the JOE BIDEN presidency, reporters tried repeatedly to get answers to a question keeping the nation on edge: where was the White House cat? With help from producers Raymond Rapada and Ben Johansen. Welcome to POLITICO’s West Wing Playbook, your guide to the people and power centers in the Biden administration. By LAUREN EGAN, ELI STOKOLS and LAWRENCE UKENYE
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