Billie and Debbie

Billie and Debbie were Syrian hamsters who were United States presidential pets in the care of Caroline Kennedy during the presidency of her father John F. Kennedy. They joined the First Family at the White House in January 1961.[1]

The hamsters came from Everett Engle of Engle Laboratory Animals whose breeding stock originally came from Gulf Hamstery.[2]

The hamsters escaped on their second night living at the White House.[3] President Kennedy captured them later under his bed.[3]

Billie sired a litter of pups with Debbie.[1] One pup drowned in a bath tub, and Billie ate the rest of them.[1] Debbie then killed Billie.[1] Shortly thereafter, Debbie died of indigestion.[1]

References
  1. "JFK's Hamsters, Debbie and Billie". Presidential Pet Museum. 19 March 2016.
  2. Smith, Gerald D. (2012). "Hamsters – Taxonomy and History". In Suckow, Mark A.; Stevens, Karla A.; Wilson, Ronald P. (eds.). The laboratory rabbit, guinea pig, hamster, and other rodents (1st ed.). Amsterdam: Elsevier Academic Press. pp. 747–753. ISBN 0123809207.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  3. Saunders, Marya (26 July 1963). "From the White House: Please no more pets!". Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.