17. Andrew Johnson needed a cat in his White House
After the Civil War the White House was not in the best of condition. Drapes and wallpapers had been cut up by souvenir seekers, carpets were worn and shabby, and the overall condition of the fifty year old building (it had been rebuilt after the war of 1812) was not good. President Andrew Johnson was penurious by nature – the former tailor made his own suits – and found pets to be an unnecessary expense. But when he found white mice in his bedroom in the somewhat dilapidated house he made sure to take bread crumbs and other foods from his table to feed them, rather than having them removed or employ a cat as a mouser.