It is a long standing tradition that the incoming president bring along a new White House pet. Almost every president, and a lot of the VP’s, have made the long journey to the White House, furry, and sometimes scaly, friend in tow.

However, President-elect Donald Trump, in all his self-absorbed and anything but traditional glory, will not be bringing any new pet into the White House. This is especially disappointing since we have grown to love the Obama dogs as much as we have.

I mean seriously Trump, even your bosom buddy Putin has an official furry friend, what the hell is wrong with you? I guess anything that takes the spotlight from the Cheetos King is not an option.

Well, since we won’t have the excitement of the new White House pet this year let’s take a look back at some of the strangest White House animals in history, you’ll be surprised how many of them are not dogs or cats.

George Washington

Photo via Windy City Parrot.

George Washington not only cared for his beloved parrot, Polly, but he also had 36 hounds on the property and horses as well.

 

John Quincy Adams

Photo via Nutty History.

John Adams not only loved his horses, he also kept a pet alligator in the White House bathroom. A gift from Marquis de Lafayette that Mrs. Adams was absolutely terrified of.

 

Thomas Jefferson

Photo via Cracked.

Thomas Jefferson didn’t just enjoy his beautiful mockingbird, Dick, but also an interesting gift from Lewis and Clark, two bear cubs.

 

Martin Van Buren

Photo via EMaze.

 

Our eighth president, Martin Van Buren, had more than just a little house cat, he had two tiger cubs as his White House pets.

 

James Buchanan

Photo via World Animal News.

President Buchanan had a pretty kick ass array of White House pets including an eagle, an elephant, and his Newfoundland, Lara.

 

Theodore Roosevelt

Photo via Presidential Pet Museum.

President Roosevelt was an avid animal lover and his White House zoo included Sailor Boy, a Chesapeake Bay retriever, Manchu, a Pekingese, Skip, a mutt, terriers named Jack and Pete,cats named Tom Quartz and Slippers, Josiah the badger, Algonquin the pony, Eli the macaw, Jonathan the piebald rat, Emily Spinach, a garter snake, twelve horses, five bears, five guinea pigs, other snakes, two kangaroo rats, lizards, roosters, an owl, a flying squirrel, a raccoon, a coyote, a lion, a hyena, and a zebra.

 

Calvin Coolidge

Photo via Tumblr.

Photo via Tumblr.

The Coolidge family had some very interesting pets including Peter Pan, a terrier, Paul Pry (née Laddie Buck), an Airedale, Calamity Jane, a sheepdog, Boston Beans, a bulldog, King Cole, a shepherd, Palo Alto, a birder, collies named Rob Roy (née Oshkosh), Prudence Prim, Ruby Rough, and Bessie, chows named Blackberry and Tiny Tim, canaries named Nip, Tuck, and Snowflake, cats named Bounder, Tiger, and Blacky, raccoons named Rebecca and Horace, Ebeneezer, a donkey, Smokey, a bobcat, Old Bill, a thrush, Enoch, a goose, a mockingbird, a bear, an antelope, a wallaby, a pygmy hippo, and some lion cubs.

 

Now I don’t know how happy the American public would be with taking care of bear cubs or elephants on the tax payer’s dime but we sure will miss Bo and Sunny Obama.

Featured image via Mental Floss.