No, it’s not an April Fool’s joke. Joe Biden, the President of the United States, and his wife Jill, don’t do things by halves. Their cat, Willow, is an integral part of the family: as proof, the adorable ball of fur has… her own Instagram account! On the social network, his pseudonym is “willowfirstcat”, which means “Willow the first cat”, in reference to the fact that he is the pet of the American head of state (who was forced to part with his German shepherd, who bit White House staff about twenty times) and the first lady. Born in 2020 in Pennsylvania, this tabby cat was named in homage to the hometown of Joe Biden, who was born in Willow Grove, in the same state. The cat is indeed in the spotlight, since he will take part in a major project, which his mistress echoed on Thursday March 28 in a press release published by the publisher Simon & Schuster.
Jill Biden revealed that she is writing a book dedicated to the feline, which will be titled Willow, the White House Cat [Willow, le chat de la Maison-Blanche, NDLR]. This book, which should be published during the month of June 2024, will be co-written by children’s author Alyssa Satin Capucilli and illustrated by Kate Berube. “As Willow moves from room to room, exploring the history of her new home, she quickly learns about all the incredible people who make this ‘People’s House’ work.”said the first lady about the plot of this children’s story, and whose words are quoted in the said press release.
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Joe Biden is not the only head of state to have adopted a pet
The White House is associated with a long tradition of pets. Many of them, like Willow, found themselves at the heart of literary ambitions. For example, former first ladies Barbara Bush and Hillary Clinton both wrote a book about theirs. In France too, the head of state, Emmanuel Macron, and his wife Brigitte, have four-legged companions. At the beginning of February, The Parisian informed us that the presidential couple, who have already lived together with their dog Nemo for seven years, were offered last fall two canines from the Tazi greyhound breed by Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokaïev, as a token of ‘friendship. The tenant of the Élysée and the first lady named them Jules and Jeanne…
Article written in collaboration with 6Medias
Photo credits: Zuma/ABACA