Various media outlets are reporting that Socks, the presidential pet who romped through the White House while Bill Clinton was in office, has cancer. The 17-year-old "First Cat" – taken in by Clinton's personal secretary Betty Currie after he left office – was reportedly battling a myriad of health problems earlier this year. Though the family considered putting Socks on feeding tubes, they decided he is too old for such trauma.
Socks, adopted by the Clintons while Bill was still governor of Arkansas, gained a lot of media attention throughout the years as a subject of various books, a guest star in the 2002 Little Rock Christmas parade and even the topic of discussion on an episode of Murphy Brown. Though he lost some thunder when the Clintons adopted their Labrador retriever, Buddy, Linda Kulman, who ghostwrote Dear Socks, Dear Buddy: Kids's Letters To First Pets, tells U.S. News & World Report, "[Socks] was nothing but a gentleman. He was elegant and a perfect resident of the White House...he won't soon be replaced."
Socks continues to live with Currie's family in southern Maryland. Our thoughts are with him! Leave your well-wishes for Socks and those who love him in the comments below.
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