His wife raised silkworms. John Quincy Adams: He was given an alligator that lived in the White House for several months. Along with a menagerie of dogs, cats, horses and birds, presidents and their families also had pet snakes, raccoons, bears, cows, mice, and more. Why an Alligator + a Donkey Once Lived at the White House Aired February 20, 2017. But President Adams wasn't the only commander-in-chief with an unusual pet. Who was the previous president that didn’t own a dog? Thomas Jefferson had a mockingbird, bear cubs, dogs and a horse, and John Quincy Adams had an alligator. He also had sheep dogs and a black spaniel. Adams decided to lodge the reptile in the then-unfinished East Room of the White House, which had its own bath tub. Some could accuse presidents of being parrots of their party but George Washington and James Madison had parrots in their family. They were both Portuguese Water Dogs with the names Bo and Sunny. Polly was Jackson’s favorite pet: she was even brought to his funeral but had to be removed as she immediately started shouting curses at the attendees. In 1921, letters between … President Trump, who was elected in the 2016 elections is the first president in 130 years to not have a pet. Theodore Roosevelt and Calvin Coolidge each had … The most common pet is a dog. Martin Van Buren President … But President Adams wasn’t the only commander-in-chief with an unusual pet. Our sixth president John Quincy Adams and our 31st president Herbert Hoover both had alligators in the White House! George Washington was a commander during the Revolutionary War.Abraham Lincoln was tall.Franklin D. Roosevelt had polio.John F. Kennedy was the first Catholic president.Richard Nixon resigned from office.Bill Clinton liked fast food. Herbert Hoover, 31st President, had two alligators. He had an unusual gift for then president John Quincy Adams: an alligator. And Barack Obama had a dog named Bo while in office. She gave birth to Spotty, who moved into the White House with the seocond President Bush! General Marquis de Lafayette brought the alligator to the White House and it lived in the East Room bathtub. Along with a menagerie of dogs, cats, horses and birds, presidents and their families also had pet snakes, raccoons, bears, cows, mice, and more. Our 26th President, Theodore Roosevelt, began his Presidency in 1901, along with six children and more animals than the White House had ever seen. Someone brought the parrot to Old … Along with a menagerie of dogs, cats, horses and birds, presidents and their families also had pet snakes, raccoons, bears, cows, mice, and more. James Monroe: He enjoyed riding horses. But President Adams wasn't the only commander-in-chief with an unusual pet. He kept it in a bathtub in the East Room of the White House. They were both Portuguese Water Dogs with the names Bo and Sunny. Yes, several dogs and his boys had a pet goat in the White House. Their wives each had one. Did you know President John Quincy Adams had a pet alligator? 5. Rachael Ray Show. But President Adams wasn't the only commander-in-chief with an unusual pet. He had a pet parrot who outlived both he and his wife. The commander in chief also had two Scottish terriers named Barney and Miss Beazley, but Spotty was the only pet to live in the White House during two administrations. A strange pet indeed, John Quincy Adams and Herbert Hoover owned alligators while in office. From Thomas Jefferson to Donald Trump, these presidents' pets, or lack thereof, have revealed some interesting characteristics about our nation's leaders.