RIP Socks, the Clintons' adorable First Cat

I just saw that Socks, the former first cat, was put to sleep yesterday after a battle with cancer. The cat was an adorable black-and-white stray that Chelsea took in while her dad was governor of Arkansas. The cat's name came from its black paws that looked like socks.

If you visit CNN, you'll see a precious photo of the cat doing some of its antics in the White House press briefing room. Here's the photo.

For me, Socks made the first family more like a real family. It would show up anywhere. I remember my sister and I were watching a state dinner reception on C-span one night (must have been a slow t.v. night) and we saw the cat curled up behind the president.

Like most first pets, she was the author of a book, "Letters to Socks and Buddy." I'm sure, being a cat, that Socks was not happy to let Buddy share the limelight and the authorship with her.

I never understood why the Clintons gave Socks to his secretary when they left Washington and took Buddy. I'm sure they had a good reason. (And, for a while, Buddy was probably Bill's only friend) Still, for me, that would be like leaving one of my kids.

Oh well, I'm sorry for the secretary, for Chelsea and for Hillary and Bill. Losing a pet, as we all know, is painful.

RIP Socks. I know Buddy is waiting over the rainbow!