President Woodrow Wilson’s most famous pet was of course, Old Ike, the ram that used to graze on the lawn of the White House. However, Wilson had several pets in his lifetime. While he resided in the White House, he had his ram, some sheep, two dogs, songbirds, and last but not least – two cats, named Mittens and Puffins.
Most of these mischievous felines’ activities have been lost to history, but it is rumored that Puffins and Mittens used to enjoy leaping on the dining room table. As this is decidedly casual behavior for the White House, staff and family members would give the offending feline a spritz of water as a deterrent.
Puffins presumably moved on with the Wilsons when they left the White House at the end of President Wilson’s second term.