Siam’s Arduous Journey to the White House

America’s first Siamese cat belonged to First Lady Lucy Hayes.

Traditional Siamese cat (Telekokopelli)

In 1878, a Siamese cat boarded a steam ship in Bangkok bound for America. It would be the first-ever Siamese cat to step foot in the United States. Siam, the feline, was headed to the White House as a gift to then First Lady Lucy Hayes.

Siamese cats were considered rare, desirable and associated with royalty. American consul David Sickels had arranged for the gift and the cat’s transport. The trip, given the time period, would prove to be long and taxing.

It began with the help of a purser who took charge of Siam and booked her on the SS Belgic that was part of a fleet that traveled between Japan, Thailand, Hong Kong and San Francisco. The journey from Hong Kong to San Francisco, alone, took 25 days, according to Lauren McGwin, the author of the new article A “Royal” Cat for the White House: The Story of Siam for the latest edition of White House History Quarterly dubbed “Animals at Work in White House History.”