There have been many Presidents but perhaps one that stands out in the mind of many people is Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln was born in February on the 12th of the month and he went on to be one of the greatest and most beloved presidents in United States history. It turns out that he wasn’t only the leader of the United States, he was also a lover of animals and especially of cats.
When Lincoln was President, he was given two kittens from William Seward, Secretary of State. Their names were Tabby and Dixie and he pampered them. During a formal dinner at the White House, he even fed Tabby from the dinner table. His wife, Mary was embarrassed over the situation but according to some records, the President said: “If the gold fork was good enough for former President Buchanan, I think it is good enough for Tabby.”
One of Lincoln’s friends, Caleb Carmen said the President would have conversations with his cats for half an hour without stopping. Lincoln even went on to say: “Dixie is smarter than my whole cabinet! And furthermore, she doesn’t talk back!”
Although Tabby and Dixie had a special place in his heart, it didn’t stop with those two cats. He also would bring home stray cats on occasion and was even distracted by crying kittens at the Ulysses S. Grant headquarters in Virginia during the siege of Petersburg. Adm. David Porter said how he was touched by the fact that the President was: “tenderly caressing three stray kittens. It well illustrated the kindness of the man’s disposition and showed the childlike simplicity which was mingled with the grandeur of his nature.”
Porter said Lincoln would pet the cats and tell them: “Kitties, thank God you are cats, and can’t understand this terrible strife that is going on.”
Before exiting the officer’s tent, he talked to the Colonel and said: “I hope you will see that these poor little motherless waifs are given plenty of milk and treated kindly.”
