Jan. 5--WASHINGTON -- A longtime member of the Bush family died Sunday at home in the White House: a cat named India, after a favorite Texas Rangers Baseball player.
The Scottish terriers Barney and Miss Beasley have been more visible first pets, with their own webcams and holiday-themed videos. But the 18-year-old black American Shorthair had been with the Bushes since she was a kitten, giving her a decade of seniority over Barney.
The family got the cat when the first daughters, Jenna and Barbara, were 9. Barbara named the cat after Ruben "El Indio" Sierra, the former Rangers outfielder. When the girls headed to college, India stayed at the White House, where she has also gone by the nom de feline "Willie."
The Bushes "are deeply saddened," first lady Laura Bush's spokeswoman, Sally McDonough, said this morning. "India was a beloved member of the Bush family for almost two decades. She will be greatly missed."
The dogs are expected to relocate with the Bushes to Dallas later this month.
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