India (cat)



India "Willie" Bush (July 13, 1990 – January 4, 2009) was the pet cat of U.S. President George W. Bush and his family while he was in the White House. She lived with the Bush family for almost two decades.

Biography
The Bushes got India, an all black, female American Shorthair, as a kitten in late 1991 or 1992. Their twin daughters Barbara and Jenna Bush were nine years old. It is not known if the cat had registered to vote. India stayed with George and Laura Bush after Jenna and Barbara left for college. When George W. Bush became President in early 2001, India moved with the family from the Governor's Mansion in Austin, Texas to the White House.

Even while living at the White House, India did not get as much attention from the media as the family's Scottish terriers, Barney and Miss Beazley. She is shown in the "Barneycam" videos made by the White House staff at Christmas. She first starred in Where in the White House is Miss Beazley?, where she was called by her nickname, "Willie". The dogs were always more interesting to the White House press during the Bush presidency. They became more famous to the public.

India (as "Willie") was shown in the March 2008 Architectural Digest, in the East Sitting Hall of the White House.

Controversy
There was controversy reported in the news in India. Some people were upset with the cat's name. In July 2004, demonstrations were held in the southern Keralian city of Thiruvananthapuram. The cat's name was criticised as an insult to the nation of India. An effigy of President Bush was burned in protest.

The Bushes did not change the cat's name because of the demonstrations. India had been named for a baseball player, Rubén Sierra. He was nicknamed "El Indio" while playing for the Texas Rangers, when Bush owned the baseball team. The name had been given to the family cat by Barbara, one of the Bush's daughters.

Death
India died at the White House on January 4, 2009, at age 18. In a statement to the press about India's death, Sally McDonough, speaking for First Lady Laura Bush, said that the family was "deeply saddened" by their cat's death. Part of the statement said, "India was a beloved member of the Bush family for almost two decades. She will be greatly missed."

Other websites

 * Official Biography at WhiteHouse.gov
 * India at the Presidential Pet Museum