Famous Pets in History

Throughout history, it seems pretty common for humans to spend their days with other creatures. Actually, there weren't always only fuzzy animals like cats and dogs that can be our pets. From the commonplace to the exceptional, animal companionship has a fascinating history. Learn more about these famous pets in history as well as their illustrious owners by reading on.

1. Andrew Jackson’s Parrot, Poll

Historians believe that President Andrew Jackson, who was irascible in his early years, seemed to become milder in later life. However, it may not be the truth. At the president’s funeral, his pet parrot Poll became excited and began to swear loudly, which shocked everyone present.

2. Queen Victoria’s Pekingese, Looty

When the British raided the Chinese Old Summer Palace in 1860, they found five Peking dogs near their dead master, who was a Chinese royal family member. Then Captain John Hart Dunn presented one of the dogs to Queen Victoria and named it Looty. In the following years, the dog lived a luxurious life as the Queen's special pet until it died in 1872.

3. Bill Clinton’s Cat, Socks

The Clintons adopted the Socks in 1991, since which the cat’s face had appeared on many websites and magazines, becoming the most famous American presidential cat. About 6 years later, the Clinton family got a Labrador retriever, but the two pets didn't get along well. So they gave the cat to Betty Curry in 2001.

4. Thomas Jefferson’s Two Grizzly Cubs

During Thomas Jefferson's second term of office, the explorer Captain Zebulon Pike gave him two grizzly bears as gifts. Since the President's home was not suitable for these wild bears, they transferred them to Peale’s museum after staying in the fence in Jefferson's yard for two months.

5. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Starling

Mozart had been very closed with his pet starling. He bought it in 1784 and since which there was another "musician" in his home. Unfortunately, the starling had only accompanied him for 3 years, and Mozart held an elaborate funeral for it with great grief.

6. Elvis Presley’s Chimpanzee, Scatter

Elvis Presley, the king of rock music, is not only a legend in the history of music, but also a famous animal lover. But few people know that he had a chimpanzee named Scatter. Elvis bought Scatter from a children's TV program host in 1961. However, the chimpanzee became more and more unmanageable, they had to keep it isolated to its own special room.

7. Salvador Dali’s Ocelot, Babou

The artist Salvador Dali had always been a cat person, but his favorite was his Colombian ocelot named Babu. Dali loved Babu so much that they became almost inseparable after he bought it. Babou had a necklace studded with jewels, and dined and traveled with Dali everywhere.

8. Charles Dickens’ Cat, Bob

The famous author Charles Dickens had many pets during his life, but only one cat named Bob stole his heart. In the Victorian era, pet taxidermy was very common. Because he had deep love for Bob, Dickens decided to make its paw into handle of the letter opener when the cat died. He needed something more special rather than a specimen placed in a display cabinet.

9. Calvin Coolidge’s Pygmy Hippopotamus, Billy

President Calvin Coolidge received an unusual present from his friend Harvey Firestone in 1927. It was a pygmy hippopotamus captured on Firestone’s Liberian plantations. Coolidge named it Billy and decided to donate it to the National Zoo. The hippo became a celebrity in Washington and attended the New York World’s Fair in 1939.

10. Hugh Hefner’s Llama, Lambert

One of Hefner's most unusual possessions is a llama named Lambert. Lambert was given to Hefner by his friend, actress Marilyn Monroe, in memory of Hefner's late dog, Sprocket. Lambert is said to be a gentle and loving animal, and Hefner often takes him out for walks in his mansion.