Things began to calm down after the Coolidges built a wooden house for their new pet in the boughs of a tree on the White House’s South Lawn outside the window of the president’s office. As you might expect, dogs and cats are the most common, but over the years, presidential pets have included cows, horses, goats, pigs, sheep, rabbits, bears, a hippo, a hyena, a raccoon, all kinds of birds from a macaw to a mockingbird, mice, and silkworms. She gave the Secret Service fits by breaking out of her cage, scaling the tallest pine tree behind the summer White House and spending hours playing keep-away from the agents who tried to coax her down. “The more raccoons get used to being handled a lot from an early age, the more it will help make them more social and less likely to bite,” he says. For more info: Presidential Pet Museum Raccoon Was Once a Thanksgiving Feast Fit for a President ... raccoon, possum and squirrel had become so popular that they were sold in city … She arrived there in 1926, when she was given to the first family by a supporter. He had an unusual gift for then president John Quincy Adams: an alligator. The animal will be unvaccinated, untested and unused to human contact — and, again, potentially dangerous. Rebecca became the president’s companion walking around the White House grounds on a leash during the day, and at night she would crawl up into her master’s lap in front of the fireplace. This was no turkey, however, but a raccoon. And it’s certainly not unprecedented: Even U.S. President Calvin Coolidge and his wife had 2 pet raccoons during his time in the White House. The press speculated that the raccoon might have bitten the hand that fed her, but Rebecca wasn’t saying anything and “Silent Cal” remained true to his moniker. Coolidge’s raccoon, Rebecca, was the most famous of several raccoons that have lived at the White House. Their dexterous, long-fingered paws allow them to perform many tasks, such as opening latches and doors, unscrewing lids from jars, and more. For Christmas, the raccoon received a special Yuletide gift—the name Rebecca—along with a collar sporting a shiny plate engraved with the words “Rebecca Raccoon of the White House.” How Rebecca felt about the trendy $500 raccoon coat that the president and First Lady gave to their elder son, John, that Christmas was never recorded. Firestone believed the pygmy hippo would make a wonderful gift for President Coolidge, already a collector of strange and exotic pets. Keeping wildlife as pets is controversial — and often illegal. In November 1926 President Calvin Coolidge pardoned a live animal intended for his Thanksgiving dinner and adopted it as a pet. Less than a week later, however, newspapers reported that Rebecca was back from the zoo and again “in good standing at the White House.”. This puts the animals at a disadvantage — having been at least partially domesticated, they will unlikely be able to fend for themselves in the wild. But raccoons are wild animals, so there are a number of challenges to having a pet raccoon in your house. Some states require a permit to keep raccoons as pets, while others, like Arkansas, allow you to keep up to 6 raccoons. In November 1926 President Calvin Coolidge pardoned a live animal intended for his Thanksgiving dinner and adopted it as a pet. If you have a pet raccoon in a state that prohibits this, authorities may remove the animal from your home and issue a fine. The Washington Evening Star reported that Rebecca “plainly evidenced her dislike for the whole doings” by clawing at the First Lady and the children before she was returned to the solitude of the White House quarters for everyone’s safety. “Once they hit sexual maturity at about 6 months of age, they are no longer gentle and cuddly,” says David Seerveld, a wildlife expert, who warns that “suddenly and without warning” your formerly friendly pet raccoon could “bite your face off.”, He adds: “I’ve heard of many cases in which people keep pet raccoons and suddenly find themselves under attack without warning one day. Access hundreds of hours of commercial-free series and specials with HISTORY Vault. Before taking a pet raccoon into your home, be sure to thoroughly investigate your state’s laws. And, being omnivorous, they may attack your other pets. This was no turkey, however, but a raccoon. We would like to show you a description here but the site won’t allow us. HISTORY reviews and updates its content regularly to ensure it is complete and accurate. Almost all the US presidents had pets in the White House of one kind or another. All Rights Reserved. WILMINGTON, Del. Raccoons are susceptible to a few illnesses that are zoonotic, meaning they can be passed to humans. It was given to the White House to be eaten for Thanksgiving but he named it Rebecca and fed it eggs. She fled the president… Don’t expect any raccoons to follow Rebecca’s lead into the White House anytime soon, however, as it is now illegal to keep a raccoon as a pet in the District of Columbia. But more than dogs have lived in the White House. You’ll need to take measures to prevent the pet raccoon from getting into chemicals, trash, the refrigerator — you name it. “Use of these vaccinations are what is referred to as off-label,” he says. Never known as the adventurous type, the cautious Coolidge had never tasted raccoon meat—and he wasn’t about to start experimenting with the gift from Mississippi. Animal shelter adoptions jumped about 15% as people turned to furry friends to help them cope with the isolation from lockdown orders. President Calvin Coolidge and First Lady Grace Coolidge, who served from 1923 to 1929, had a hard time turning down the company of an animal. “Everyone agrees that this is the messiest pet alive,” says Seerveld. Declaring raccoon meat less fatty than possum, the newspaper then invoked the culinary cliché that the ring-tailed animal tasted like chicken, albeit one crossed with a suckling pig. There may be a vaccine to prevent your pet raccoon from contracting rabies, but Dr. Gentz cautions that some vets may not agree to vaccinate your pet raccoon against rabies. According to the World Health Organization, rabies is “almost always fatal following the onset of clinical symptoms.” Obviously, this presents serious concerns when you’re keeping a raccoon as a pet. They climb, and they pry open cabinets and take things apart.”, “It may sound cute,” he adds, “but it means that if a raccoon is in your house, it will destroy a lot. Mrs. Coolidge and Rebecca the raccoon, 1927. Are you prepared to take all precautions for yourself and your household regarding disease transmission? And please, never bring home a wild raccoon — even a baby one. Some are aggressive and territorial; others are friendly and curious; and still others may turn and flee at the first opportunity. The White House staff thought the raccoon was a “regular Houdini” given her abilities to wriggle free from harnesses and break out of makeshift cages by gnawing away at the wooden bars, leading to wild chases through the president’s home. First lady Grace Coolidge with Rebecca the raccoon … Principles and Practice of Veterinary Technology. Mrs. Coolidge and Rebecca the raccoon at the Easter egg rolling in 1927. Raccoons can carry the worm Baylisascaris procyonis, an intestinal roundworm that humans can contract. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! The Mississippian had sent Coolidge a raccoon. While the eagle is the symbol of America, only one president has had eagles as pets, which was President James Buchanan. Get the history behind the holiday. Grace Coolidge, meanwhile, gave the animal a closer inspection. After the periodic escapes became more of a pattern, the Coolidges finally donated her to the national zoo. image caption First Lady Grace Coolidge, wife of President Calvin Coolidge, holds their pet raccoon Rebecca. “They are prone to biting whenever they feel threatened, so be prepared that this may happen, because it will.”. Mrs. Coolidge and Rebecca the raccoon, Easter egg rolling, 1927. By the time Billy arrived, Coolidge had amassed an assortment of dogs, birds, a wallaby and a domesticated raccoon named Rebecca, a filthy but favorite pet of the first lady. Rebecca was the star of the annual Easter Egg Roll in 1927, but she was hardly at ease around 30,000 shrieking children and the incessant clicking of swarming photographers. FACT CHECK: We strive for accuracy and fairness. She was intended to be eaten for Thanksgiving dinner at the White House. Finally, raccoons are nocturnal, which means they are most active at night. Rebecca increasingly skipped out of the White House grounds to roam the capital city looking for adventure—and undoubtedly garbage cans to rummage through. The first inauguration of Calvin Coolidge as the 30th President of the United States was held on Friday, August 3, 1923, at the Coolidge Homestead in Plymouth Notch, Vermont, following the death of President Warren G. Harding the previous evening. Can you handle an animal that is mostly active during the nighttime hours? “People become infected when they accidentally ingest infected soil, water or objects contaminated with raccoon feces,” warns Margi Sirois, CVT, in Principles and Practice of Veterinary Technology. Moving. What the commander in chief did next with the intended Thanksgiving entree, however, may be the most bizarre part of the story for the strait-laced Coolidge adopted the raccoon as a presidential pet—albeit at a time when far fewer of the furry creatures contracted rabies. That summer Rebecca joined the Coolidge’s five canaries and two white collies, Rob Roy and Prudence Prim, on the 1,800-mile railroad journey to South Dakota’s Black Hills for the president’s three-month vacation. Rabies scares me a lot.”. The next morning, however, the president emerged with his wrist bandaged, and Rebecca was banished to the national zoo in Rock Creek Park. About 67% of all U.S. homes had a pet in 2019, up from 56% three decades ago, the American Pet Products Association reported last year. The president, not a fan of raccoon meat, passed on the southerner’s gracious gift without much thought. This was “no ordinary raccoon,” she later wrote. Do you have young children or other pets who may not get along with your raccoon. President Abraham Lincoln had several animals in the White House, including the traditional, dogs, cats, horse, rabbits, and even goats (which multiple presidents had) but one pet started a tradition, sort of. Other illnesses that raccoons can carry (and pass on to you or your other pets): Raccoons display a wide variety of temperaments. President Calvin Coolidge, however, became smitten by the beast and instead granted it a pardon. Because raccoons are carriers of rabies, more than 20 states ban pet raccoons. When asked if the raccoon was edible, the president smiled and said it might be for some people, but not for him. ADVERTISEMENT But raccoons are wild animals, so there are a number of challenges to having a pet raccoon in your house. And it’s certainly not unprecedented: Even U.S. President Calvin Coolidge and his wife had 2 pet raccoons during his time in the White House. This rescued pet raccoon fits right in with his dog family: When you’re deciding whether or not a raccoon is a good pet for you, ask yourself these questions: “Raccoons are big biters,” says Dr. Gentz. Raccoons are adorable animals, but you need to check your state and local laws before adding a pet raccoon to your family. (Credit: Library of Congress) While serving in office from 1923 to 1929, Coolidge had an … Are you prepared to not just child-proof but also raccoon-proof your home? They are best left in a large pen with lots of toys and things to climb.”. Twice a week we compile our most fascinating features and deliver them straight to you. Raccoons fall into the category of wildlife kept as pets. Another case of disease transmission involved a 37-year-old man who contracted the fungal disease blastomycosis after being bitten by his pet kinkajou, a rainforest mammal related to the raccoon. And the pandemic has given pet ownership a further boost. President Coolidge quickly grew attached to his new pet. The lucky creature was no turkey, though, but a raccoon. If you come across an injured raccoon, contact your local wildlife care center for assistance. Raccoons are intelligent animals — how else would they manage to get into so many “animal proof” trash containers? One of the most serious and deadly of these is rabies. While raccoon might seem an odd menu choice to grace the White House dinner table these days, the Washington Evening Star thought the strange part of the story was that the president didn’t want to chow down on the woodland critter. Raccoons fall into the category of wildlife kept as pets. But you should not take a chance with a raccoon as a pet.”. A Brief History of the Presidential Turkey Pardon. A live raccoon, and a seemingly domesticated one at that. © 2021 A&E Television Networks, LLC. “Raccoons are potential predators of domestic pets, including small cats and rabbits,” warn Stanley Gehrt, Seth Riley and Brian Cypher in their book Urban Carnivores. Others caution against keeping wildlife as pets because, unlike dogs and cats, these animals do not have a long history of domestication. Some people swear by these pets. Dr. Ned Gentz, DVM, DACZM, writing for VetzInsight, says, “Raccoons are the most common wildlife species to become infected with rabies. The man also kept a pet raccoon. “What this means is that even though a raccoon may be vaccinated for rabies, if the raccoon bites somebody, the legal authorities will not consider it to be vaccinated and the raccoon will have to be euthanized and tested for rabies.”. This raccoon could have been a president’s Thanksgiving meal. (AP) — On President Joe Biden’s weekend to-do list? The raccoon was just the latest addition to a menagerie that the press called the “Pennsylvania Avenue Zoo,” but the Cleveland Plain Dealer reported that the masked animal “proved the most obstreperous of all the recent White House pets” as she ripped up clothing and clawed on the upholstery. And it’s certainly not unprecedented: Even U.S. President Calvin Coolidge and his wife had 2 pet raccoons during his time in the White House. “Raccoons don’t just eat their food or drink their water — they spread it all over the place. The news was hardly surprising to the American public in 1926, however, as the president and First Lady Grace Coolidge were known to be such lovers of animals that people sent them unsolicited pets on a regular basis. ... Rebecca the raccoon. Rebecca, the Coolidges’ raccoon, at the White House. After moving into a Dupont Circle mansion in March 1927 while the White House underwent renovation, the chief executive missed Rebecca so much that he brought her back with him in the presidential limousine to his temporary quarters. In late November 1926, a live animal sent by one Vinnie Joyce of Nitta Yuma, Mississippi, arrived at the White House to be slaughtered and served up for that year’s Thanksgiving dinner. You can imagine the havoc a raccoon can wreak on an unsuspecting household. In 1926, they were gifted a raccoon … The wife of John Quincy Adams, the sixth president, had silkworms.Herbert Hoover, the 31st president, had an opossum.And Calvin Coolidge, the 30th president, had a raccoon named Rebecca that walked on a leash!. PRESIDENTIAL POSSUM. Like a spring breaker, Rebecca went wild—or tried to at least—among the forested surroundings. But for most of modern U.S. history, the president has had a pet. Instead, the family fell in love with Rebecca and kept her as a pet. Yes, there are exceptions, and some raccoons are simply more aggressive than others. Image. READ MORE: A Brief History of the Presidential Turkey Pardon. First lady Grace Coolidge, wife of President Calvin Coolidge, shows her pet raccoon Rebecca to crowds of children gathered for the Easter Egg Roll … By early 1928, Rebecca had a new raccoon companion, dubbed Reuben by the president, but the two got along about as well as Republicans and Democrats. The Coolidges had a huge menagerie that included several raccoons, a dozen dogs, canaries, lion cubs, a wallaby, a donkey, a bobcat and a Pygmy hippopotamus, among others. “We always had more dogs than we could take care of,” Coolidge wrote in his autobiography as he reflected on his White House years. “Once ingested, the eggs hatch into larvae and travel throughout the body, affecting the organs and muscles. While the canines, cats and canaries that were sent to the president may have been on the conventional side, Coolidge also received a black-haired bear from Mexico, an African pygmy hippopotamus from rubber magnate Harvey Firestone and even a pair of live lion cubs, which the fiscally conservative president gave the less-than-fuzzy names “Tax Reduction” and “Budget Bureau.”. Political Cartoon from Washington Evening Star of November 27, 1926 featuring Coolidge and Rebecca. Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th president, was famous for his many pets.His six kids had snakes, dogs, cats, a … Hager said, "When you go back and you look at the pets that presidents have had since Coolidge, there's nothing quite as unusual as a raccoon." This infection can be fatal,” she says. It became a White House pet instead. Their journey there had more wholesome beginnings: In the 1970s, Japanese children were obsessed with the cuddly star of the anime cartoon Rascal the Raccoon. He suggests plenty of socialization early on.