| India "Willie" Bush | |
|---|---|
India |
|
| Species | Cat |
| Breed | American Shorthair |
| Sex | Female |
| Born | 1990 |
| Died | January 4, 2009 (aged 18) White House |
| Owner | George W. Bush and Laura Bush |
| Appearance | black fur |
India "Willie" Bush (ca. 1990 – January 4, 2009) was a black cat owned by former U.S. President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush. She lived with the Bush family for almost two decades.
The Bushes acquired India, an all-black, female American Shorthair,[1] as a kitten in late 1991 or 1992 when twin daughters Barbara and Jenna Bush were nine years old. India remained with George and Laura Bush once their daughters left for college.[2] The cat moved with the Bushes to the White House from the Texas Governor's Mansion in Austin in early 2001 following Bush's inauguration as President.[2]
There was some controversy reported in India as several people were upset with the cat's name. In the Indian state of Kerala, for example, 101 dogs were reportedly renamed 'Bush' in protest to Bush's cat being called India. In July 2004, demonstrators in the southern Keralian city of Thiruvananthapuram denounced the cat's name as an insult to the nation of India and even burned an effigy of President Bush in protest.[2][3] The Bushes did not change the cat's name in response to the demonstrations.[2]
In actuality, the cat is not named for the country of India, yet rather for baseball player Rubén Sierra who was nicknamed "El Indio", during his time with the Texas Rangers when Bush owned the team.[4] The name had reportedly been given to the family cat by daughter, Barbara Bush.[2]
Despite living at the White House with the First Family, India had been largely overshadowed in the media by two of the Bushes' more famous Scottish terriers, Barney and Miss Beazley. However, she's seen in the "Barneycam" videos produced by the White House staff around Christmas time, her first being Where in the White House is Miss Beazley?, where she was referred to as "Willie".[1] The dogs received significantly more media attention from the White House press corps during the Bush presidency.[2]
India died at the White House on January 4, 2009, at the age of 18.[5][6] In a statement to the press regarding India's death, Sally McDonough, a spokesperson for First Lady Laura Bush, noted that the family was "deeply saddened" by their cat's death.[1] An excerpt of the statement released to the press stated, "India was a beloved member of the Bush family for almost two decades. She will be greatly missed."[1]
The Bush family cat makes an appearance on p. 153 of the March 2008 Architectural Digest, as "Willie", in the East Sitting Hall of the White House.
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| Honorary titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Socks (Chelsea Clinton's cat) |
US White House pet cat January 20, 2001 – January 4, 2009 |
Succeeded by Vacant |