All Things Bubba

Ruben Sierra's furry namesake.
I just found out that the First Cat died January 4. Actually, I just found out we had a First Cat. I didn't realize that Bush family even had a cat. Dogs, sure, but their cat apparently kept a very low profile.

The 18-year-old cat was named India - after Ruben Sierra. One of his nicknames was "El Indio" ("The Indian" - a name he got growing up in Puerto Rico, since his father was Indian).

India, an American shorthair, grew up with the Bushes’ twin daughters, Jenna and Barbara. According to Bush family lore, it was young Barbara who named the cat after one of her dad’s star players when he was an owner of the Texas Rangers.

As for the previous First Cat, Socks...he's still alive and kicking, though now old and ill. Like many other Clintonistas, he has moved back to DC now that the Democrats have taken over the White House again.