Even when it comes to presidents, most people think dogs and cats when they consider pets. Sure, there are birds, rabbits, or even something more exotic, like a lizard. But rarely do we think about raccoons. No matter how rare its existence may have been, that’s the exact pet that Calvin Coolidge had while serving as president.
He and his wife, first lady, Grace Coolidge, kept Rebecca, a raccoon from Mississippi from 1926 through his term, ending in 1929.
However, Rebecca wasn’t intended to be a pet. She was intended to be a meal. Or so political lore would have us believe.