Willow First Cat White House Bobblehead Unveiled

Willow First Cat White House Bobblehead Unveiled

MILWAUKEE – Today, the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum unveiled a limited edition bobblehead of Willow, the shorthair tabby cat who was adopted by President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden and introduced to the world last Friday, January 28th. Willow is the first cat to live in the White House since President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush had a black cat named India. Standing on a base with a replica of the White House in the background, the green-eyed Willow bobblehead is inquisitively checking out her surroundings. The base of the bobblehead bears the name of the gray and white striped feline.

The bobbleheads, which will be individually numbered to 2,022 to commemorate the year of Willow’s introduction, are only available through the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum’s Online Store. Willow’s bobbleheads are $25 each plus a flat-rate shipping charge of $8 per order and are expected to ship in June. The Willow bobblehead is the latest in the First Pets White House Base bobblehead collection with the others including previously released Champ and Major which arrived last year and Commander, which is also expected to ship in June.

Two-year-old Willow, named after the first lady’s hometown of Willow Grove, Pennsylvania, first caught the eye of Jill Biden when she was out on the campaign trail. Willow interrupted a speech she was giving at a Pennsylvania farm and the owners of the farm noticed the “immediate bond” the two shared. The first lady said after her husband was elected in November of 2020 that the Bidens would bring a cat to the White House. It had been more than a dozen years since the White House had a feline resident after the Bush’s cat, India, died at the presidential mansion in January of 2009. Before that, President Bill Clinton had his family’s cat, Socks, at the White House.

Willow joins Commander, a German shepherd puppy Joe Biden introduced in December which was a birthday gift from the president’s brother James Biden and his wife, Sara. The Bidens had two other German shepherds, Champ and Major, at the White House before Commander. Major, a 3-year-old rescue dog, was sent back to Delaware for more training after behaving aggressively while Champ died in June of 2021 at the age of 13. Champ and Major both appeared in advertisements for Biden during his presidential campaign. “It’s time we put a pet back in the White House,” Biden tweeted during the campaign, much to the delight of pet owners everywhere.

“It was fun to see the reaction to the adorable pictures of Willow that the Bidens shared on social media last week, and we’re excited to be unveiling this bobblehead of Willow,” National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum co-founder and CEO Phil Sklar said. “Now, everyone will have the opportunity to have a smaller bobblehead version of Willow.”

About the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum:
The National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum, which is located at 170 S. 1^st. St. in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, opened to the public on February 1^st, 2019. The HOF and Museum also produces high quality, customized bobbleheads for retail sale as well as organizations, individuals and teams across the country. Visit us online and on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.