Socks (cat)#Cultural references

Socks was likely born in early 1989, based on a veterinarian's estimate that he would have turned 20 in early 2009.{{cite news |last=Craton |first=Susan |url=http://www.somdnews.com/stories/02202009/entetop133645_32246.shtml |title=Socks, Former First Cat, Dies |work=SoMdNews.com |date=February 20, 2009 |access-date=February 28, 2011 |archive-date=July 16, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716024925/http://ww2.somdnews.com/stories/02202009/entetop133645_32246.shtml }} He was originally a stray and was adopted by the Clintons in 1991 after he jumped into the arms of Chelsea Clinton as she was leaving the house of her piano teacher in Little Rock, Arkansas, where he was playing with his sibling, Midnight, who was later adopted by another family.{{cite web |last=Cellania |first=Miss |date=February 24, 2009 |title=The Nine Lives of Socks Clinton |url=http://mentalfloss.com/article/20953/nine-lives-socks-clinton |work=Mental Floss |access-date=September 19, 2013 }} His name was inspired by his white paws,{{cite web |url=http://www.whitehouse.gov/WH/kids/inside/html/Spring99-4.html |title=About Socks and Buddy |website=Whitehouse.gov |archive-url=https://clintonwhitehouse4.archives.gov/WH/kids/inside/html/Spring99-4.html |archive-date=April 1, 1999 }} which resembled those of the title character of the Beverly Cleary novel Socks.{{cite magazine |last=Hoffman |first=Jordan |date=March 27, 2021 |title=Beverly Cleary, Author of Children's Books, Dies at Age 104 |url=https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2021/03/beverly-cleary-author-of-childrens-books-dies-at-age-104 |magazine=Vanity Fair |publisher=Condé Nast |url-access=subscription |access-date=June 4, 2025 }}

When Bill Clinton became president, Socks moved with the family from the governor's mansion to the White House and became the principal pet of the First Family in Clinton's first term. He was often taken to schools and hospitals. During the Clinton administration, children visiting the White House website would be guided by a cartoon version of Socks.

Bill Clinton later lamented, "I did better with the Palestinians and the Israelis than I've done with Socks and Buddy."{{cite news |title=President Clinton Touts Economy While President-elect Bush Warns of Slowdown |work=CNN |date=January 12, 2001 |url=http://edition.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0101/12/ip.00.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030818195308/http://edition.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0101/12/ip.00.html |archive-date=August 18, 2003 }} When the Clintons left the White House in 2001, Buddy was taken to their new home, but left Socks under the care of Bill Clinton's secretary, Betty Currie. Buddy would die within a year, being hit by a car in 2002.{{cite news |url=https://www.cnn.com/2002/US/01/03/buddy.killed/index.html |work=CNN |title=Former First Dog Buddy Killed by Car |location=Chappaqua, New York |date=January 3, 2002 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110705145112/http://articles.cnn.com/2002-01-03/us/buddy.killed_1_clinton-family-chocolate-labrador-retriever-dog?_s=PM:US |archive-date=July 5, 2011 |url-status=live |access-date=June 4, 2025 }}

By June 2008, Socks was still living with Currie and her husband in Hollywood, Maryland, about 60 miles from Washington, but had a thyroid condition, hair and weight loss, and kidney disease.

In December 2008, Socks was reported to be in failing health, apparently suffering from cancer.{{cite news |url=https://www.usnews.com/blogs/washington-whispers/2008/12/12/clintons-socks-the-cat-near-death.html |title=Clinton's Socks the Cat Near Death |work=U.S. News |date=December 12, 2008 }} Socks was euthanized on February 20, 2009, in Hollywood, Maryland,{{cite news |date=February 20, 2009 |url=http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/02/20/socks.obit/index.html |title=Socks, Former Clinton Cat, Put to Sleep |work=CNN |access-date=May 23, 2010 }} after suffering cancer of the jaw. Time had an obituary of Socks in its milestones section.{{Cite web |date=November 9, 2023 |title=Milestones |magazine=Time |url=https://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,1881979,00.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231109211027/https://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,1881979,00.html |archive-date=November 9, 2023 |access-date=November 9, 2023 }}

Indiana Representative Dan Burton, then the chairman of the House Oversight Committee, once publicly questioned the use of White House staff, postage, and stationery to answer mail addressed to the cat.{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/special/campfin/stories/pitbull.htm |title=Burton: A 'Pit Bull' in the Chair |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=March 19, 1997 |access-date=February 28, 2011 }}

• First Lady Hillary Clinton carried a Socks-shaped minaudière to the 1997 Inaugural Ball. Designed by Judith Leiber, famous for her whimsically shaped, rhinestone-encrusted evening bags, it is currently on display at the Amsterdam Museum of Bags and Purses.{{cite web |date=1996 |url=https://tassenmuseum.nl/en/collectie/clutch-leiber-socks/ |title=Evening Bag 'Socks', Judith Leiber, US |publisher=Museum of Bags and Purses |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180701193732/https://tassenmuseum.nl/en/collectie/clutch-leiber-socks/ |archive-date=July 1, 2018 }}
• Hillary Clinton wrote a children's book called Dear Socks, Dear Buddy: Kids' Letters to the First Pets in 1998{{cite book |last=Clinton |first=Hillary |title=Dear Socks, Dear Buddy: Kids' Letters to the First Pets |publisher=Simon & Schuster |date=1998 |isbn=0-684-85778-2 }} whose proceeds went to the National Park Foundation.
• A comic book called Socks Goes to Washington: The Diary of America's First Cat, written by Michael O'Donoghue and Jean-Claude Suares, was published in 1993.{{cite book |last1=O'Donoghue |first1=Michael |last2=Suarès |first2=Jean-Claude |date=1993 |title=Socks Goes to Washington: The Diary of America's First Cat |isbn=1565660420 |publisher=Thomasson-Grant }}
• Socks was featured prominently in an episode of the sitcom Murphy Brown in December 1993 entitled "Sox and the Single Girl," in which Socks is inadvertently removed from the White House during a press dinner.{{cite web |url=http://www.tv.com/murphy-brown/sox-and-the-single-girl/episode/35628/summary.html |title="Murphy Brown": Sox and the Single Girl |website=TV.com }} On the April 1, 1994, edition of Larry King Live, a Muppet version of Socks was a special guest interviewed by Kermit the Frog, who was guest hosting for Larry King at the time.{{cite web |author=Danny |date=April 2002 |url=http://www.toughpigs.com/anthking06.htm |title=April Frog's Day: Part Six: Watch What You Do |website=ToughPigs.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110611115439/http://www.toughpigs.com/anthking06.htm |archive-date=June 11, 2011 }}
• Socks was to be the subject of a canceled 1993 video game entitled Socks the Cat Rocks the Hill for the Super NES and Sega Genesis platforms.{{cite web |last=G. |first=Evan |url=http://snescentral.com/article.php?id=0094 |title=Socks the Cat Rocks the Hill |work=Snes Central |date=April 1, 2012 |access-date=December 11, 2020 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208064222/http://www.snescentral.com/article.php?id=0094 |archive-date=December 8, 2015 }} The game was released in 2018.{{Citation needed|date=June 2025}}
• In his announcement of the Next Generation Internet Program in 1996, President Clinton said, "When I took office, only high energy physicists had ever heard of what is called the World Wide Web. Now even my cat has its own page."{{cite web |last=Gromov |first=Gregory |url=https://www.netvalley.com/ |title=A New Home for the Mind |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110720213401/http://www.netvalley.com/ |archive-date=July 20, 2011 |url-status=live |access-date=June 3, 2025 }}
• Steve Bell's long running cartoon series If... in The Guardian included Socks as a recurring character with more influence on politics than is generally assumed.{{cite news |last=Bell |first=Steve |date=10 November 2008 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/cartoon/2008/nov/10/obama-white-house |title=Socks Is Back |work=The Guardian |access-date=June 3, 2025 }}
• The women's clothing brand Soccx, produced by the German company Clinton Großhandels-GmbH, was named after Socks. The company's other brands, Camp David and Chelsea, are also references to the Clintons.{{cite web |date=August 10, 2018 |url=https://www.fabeau.de/11-fragen/thomas-finkbeiner-geschaftsfuhrer-der-clinton-groshandels-gmbh/ |title=Camp David Soccx – Das Wichtigsten auf einen Blick |language=de |trans-title=Camp David Soccx – The Most Important Things at a Glance |website=Fabeau.de }}

File:Socks the Cat Sitting on the South Lawn at the White House- 06-16-1998 (6461533883).jpg|Socks the Cat on the grass at the White House.

File:Funsocks.gif|A likeness of Socks hosted the children's version of the White House website.

File:Sock and Betty Currie.jpg|Socks with Betty Currie, President Clinton's secretary

File:Photograph of Socks the Cat Peeking into his Christmas Stocking- 12-21-1993 (6461514427) (cropped1).jpg|Socks peeking into his Christmas stocking in 1993

File:Photograph of Socks the Cat Posing Next to Easter Eggs Decorated with Paw Prints- 04-01-1994 (6461516025) (cropped).jpg|Socks with Easter eggs in 1994

File:Photograph of Chelsea Clinton Playing with Socks the Cat in the Oval Office While President William Jefferson Clinton Works at his Desk- 12-24-1994 (6461519327) (cropped1).jpg|Chelsea Clinton plays with Socks in the Oval Office in 1994

File:Photograph of President William Jefferson Clinton with Socks the Cat Perched on Clinton's Shoulder- 12-20-1993 (6461509201).jpg|Socks perches on President Clinton's shoulder in 1993

File:Photograph of First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton and Socks the Cat- 12-13-1995 (6461521265) (cropped).jpg|Socks sits in Hillary Clinton's lap in 1995

File:Socks the Cat Explores.jpg|Socks at the lectern in the White House Press Briefing Room

File:Photograph of Socks the Cat Sitting Behind the President's Desk in the Oval Office- 01-07-1994 (6461515323).jpg|Socks sitting at the Resolute desk in the Oval Office, 1994

File:Socks-clinton.jpg|Socks photographed on the South Lawn of the White House

File:Photograph of Socks the Cat- 07-13-1994 (6461517483).jpg|Socks in the grass

File:Photograph of President William Jefferson Clinton and First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton Playing with Socks the Cat- 02-24-1997 (6461522455).jpg|President Bill Clinton and First Lady Hillary Clinton playing with Socks

File:Photograph of Socks the Cat Perched on the Backseat of a Van- 09-16-1993 (6461497597) (cropped).jpg|Socks perched on the backseat of a van

• United States presidential pets
• List of individual cats

{{Reflist}}

{{Commons category}}

• [http://images.huffingtonpost.com/gadgets/slideshows/624/slide_624_12731_large.jpg Picture with photographers]
• [http://www.chicagotribune.com/community/chi-080812-president-pets-photogallery,0,6491968.photogallery?index=chi-pres_pets_005t20080813074008 Socks meets Buddy (January 6, 1998)]
• [http://www.purr-n-fur.org.uk/famous/socks.html Purr 'n' Fur Famous Felines: Socks Clinton, and other Presidential Felines]
• [http://www.k-blackshaw.com/Socks%20Web/socks.htm A web-based version of the children's book, Socks Goes to the White House – A Cats-eye view of the President's house]

{{s-start}}

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{{Succession box

| title=United States presidential cat

| before=Cleo and Sara
(Ronald Reagan's
tortoiseshell cats)

| after=India
(George W. Bush's
Black cat)

| years=January 20, 1993 – January 20, 2001

}}

{{s-end}}

{{United States presidential pets}}

{{Bill Clinton}}

{{Hillary Rodham Clinton}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:1989 animal births

Category:2009 animal deaths

Category:Animal deaths by euthanasia

Category:Bill Clinton

Category:Hillary Clinton

Category:Hillary Clinton's tenure as First Lady of the United States

Category:Presidency of Bill Clinton

Category:United States presidential cats