President Abraham Lincoln “possessed extraordinary kindness of heart when his feelings could be reached,” wrote Treasury official Mansell B. Field in his memoirs. “He was fond of dumb animals, especially cats. I have seen him fondle one for an hour. Helplessness and suffering touched him when they appealed directly to his senses, or when you could penetrate through his intelligence to them.”
Lincoln, who decided to leave his dog Fido home in Springfield, Ill., when he was elected president, was given an unexpected gift of two kittens from Secretary of State William Seward.
The president doted on the cats, which he named Tabby and Dixie, so much that he once fed Tabby from the table during a formal dinner at the White House.
When Lincoln’s embarrassed wife later observed that the action was “shameful in front of their guests,” the president replied, “If the gold fork was good enough for former President James Buchanan, I think it is good enough for Tabby.”
“Dixie Is Smarter Than My Whole Cabinet”
Lincoln’s friend Caleb Carman recalled how the president would pick up one of the cats and “talk to it for half an hour at a time.” The cats apparently won the president over with their quiet adoration.
At one point during his first term, Lincoln was said to have observed in frustration, “Dixie is smarter than my whole cabinet! And furthermore she doesn’t talk back!”
Lincoln Loved Stray Cats
Lincoln had a special affinity for stray cats and was known to bring them home on occasion. Mrs. Lincoln even referred to cats as her husband’s “hobby.”
When she was visiting her father and stepmother in Kentucky, for example, Mary wrote in a letter to her husband that their son Eddy had taken up “your hobby” by adopting a stray kitten.
At General Ulysses S. Grant‘s headquarters in City Point, Va., during the siege of Petersburg in March 1865, just weeks before his assassination, Lincoln found his attention distracted by the sound of mewing kittens.
Admiral David Porter wrote later that he was struck by the sight of the president “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 recalled that Lincoln stroked the cats’ fur and quietly told them, “Kitties, thank God you are cats, and can’t understand this terrible strife that is going on.”
Before leaving a meeting in the officers’ tent that day, Lincoln turned to a colonel and said, “I hope you will see that these poor little motherless waifs are given plenty of milk and treated kindly.”
tudorpearl says
Mary Lincoln did not order President Lincoln to leave Fido behind in Springfield, IL in 1861. The decision was made by Lincoln due to the fact that Fido was frightened by the cannons that were fired celebrating Lincoln’s election. Concerned that something might happen to his beloved dog during the train trip from Springfield to Washington, D.C., Lincoln decided that it was best to leave the dog in the care of John and Frank Roll, playmates of Lincoln’s sons Willie and Tad. Lincoln instructed the boys to never scold Fido for coming in the house with muddy paws and to feed him from the table. Sadly, Fido died in 1866 when he was stabbed to death by the town drunk. Newspapers reported that the murdered president’s faithful dog was also murdered. For more information on Fido: http://rogerjnorton.com/Lincoln17.html
Michelle L. Hamilton
Author, “I Would Still Be Drowned in Tears”: Spiritualism in Abraham Lincoln’s White House
Presidential Pet Museum says
Thank you! We appreciate the information and have amended the article.
Carol says
So, what happened to Lincoln’s cats after his assassination? Did Mary keep them? Did she simply leave them behind…really would like to know if the cats stayed in the family or were given away or abandoned.
Presidential Pet Museum says
We haven’t turned up that information, Carol. We’d love to know, too!
Eva Elisabeth says
Please, what is the source of “Dixie is smarter than my whole cabinet! And furthermore she doesn’t talk back!”, and that one of the kittens Seward gave the Lincolns’ boys was named “Dixie”? Thanks for any information.
Presidential Pet Museum says
Hi Eva. It’s been a while since this article was written, and we can’t locate the original source at the moment. Lincoln was definitely a lover of cats, so the quote wouldn’t be a bit out of character. According to the National Park Service: When asked if her husband had a hobby, Mary Todd Lincoln replied, “cats.”
Eva Elisabeth says
Thanks for your reply. I have a huge interest in the topic and read probably every related book but cannot recall this mentioned in any.
Connie Musser says
I never knew this about Lincoln. What a kind heart and soul!
Lynn hull says
Cats are perfect creatures in all ways. I love that my hero mr.lincoln loved cats,so do. What a soft hearted man.
Ronald Klimmek says
I love cats too . They never bite anybody . They are so loving and they keep away mice too .
Denny Chaput says
I was disappointed to not see any photos of Abe with his cats ?
Andrew says
If we had such pictures, we would definitely post them. However, it seems unlikely that any exist.
Robin Sawyer says
I doubt there has even been, nor will ever be, a government leader more gracious, decent and humble than dear President Lincoln…(and I’m Canadian!) Lovely to hear that my favorite President loved cats as much as I do! Thanks for this article.
barry waterfield says
Abraham Lincoln was Americas finest president . Anyone who likes cats is likely to be compassionate. What might he have achieved had he not been shot by some stupid little actor.