Jill Biden confirms White House cat is coming and that Major has returned

Jill Biden confirms she is adopting a cat with Joe and ‘loveable’ rescue pup Major has returned to the White House after he bit two employees and was sent for training

  • Jill Biden confirmed their rescue pup Major is back in the White House 
  • Three-year old German Shepherd was banished for additional training after he bit two government employees 
  • He is such a sweet, lovable dog. He really is,’ the first lady said on NBC
  • She also confirmed the Bidens’ are getting a cat 
  • ‘She is waiting in the wings,’ Jill Biden said of the first feline 
  • She also said Major was trained at a shelter with cats so all would be well 

Jill Biden confirmed the first couple’s rescue pup Major is back in the White House after being banished for additional training after he bit two government employees.

‘He is such a sweet, lovable dog. He really is,’ the first lady said on NBC’s Today Show in an interview that aired Friday.

She also confirmed the Bidens’ much-anticipated cat – a female feline – is ‘waiting in the wings’ to join the White House menagerie. 

‘She is waiting in the wings,’ Jill Biden said.

President Joe Biden made it clear that the cat was not his idea. 

‘No but it’s easier,’ he said with a smile on his face. 

The Bidens announced before they moved into 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue they would adopt a cat. No date has been given although White House press secretary Jen Psaki has joked the cat will ‘break the internet’ when it arrives.  

And Jill Biden reassured people that Major Biden, their three-year old German Shepherd, will not harm the first feline.

‘That was part of his training. They took him into a shelter with cats,’ she said. ‘He did fine.’ 

Jill Biden confirmed the first couple’s rescue pup Major is back in the White House and the cat will be joining the first couple soon

The first lady called their rescue pup Major, who has bit two government employees, 'loveable'

The first lady called their rescue pup Major, who has bit two government employees, ‘loveable’

In early April, Major was removed from the White House to undergo additional training after a second biting incident raised more questions about the dog’s behavior. 

The White House argued the dog is still adjusting to his new life at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, which is why he bit two government employees. 

Major has bitten two staff at the White House since moving into his new residence. Last month he bit a Park Service employee – the National Park Service maintains the White House lawns – and, in February, he bit a security guard.

In both incidents, the person was checked by the White House Medical Unit and there was no serious damage. White House officials defended Major as being ‘surprised’ and only nipping the person in question.

The Bidens' rescue pup Major (left) keft the White House to undergo additional training after a second biting incident; the Bidens' older dog Champ lays on the South Lawn at right

The Bidens’ rescue pup Major (left) keft the White House to undergo additional training after a second biting incident; the Bidens’ older dog Champ lays on the South Lawn at right

Major, 3, is on a leash when spotted at the White House while the older Champ, 12, shuffles and moves slowly

Major, 3, is on a leash when spotted at the White House while the older Champ, 12, shuffles and moves slowly 

Major was sent to Delaware for additional training after the first biting incident to help him adjust to his new home. The 132-room White House sits on 18 acres in downtown Washington D.C. At his new residence, Major is constantly surrounded by aides and security officers.  

The pup, who the Bidens adopted in November 2018 from an animal shelter, has been on a leash when spotted at the White House in the past few weeks. While Major is leashed, the Bidens’ older German Shepherd, Champ, roams freely.

But Champ, who is 12, moves slowly and stiffly, often stopping to rest. He likes to lie on the South Lawn in the sunshine while Major runs around.

The dogs are often seen on the South Lawn, to get air and use the facilities. Major is rambunctious during the outings, often pulling at the leash and dragging his handler across the lawn. 

President Biden gives Champ a pat; the Bidens adopted Major to be the older dog's companion

President Biden gives Champ a pat; the Bidens adopted Major to be the older dog’s companion

Jill Biden is seen with the two dogs during the presidential campaign

Jill Biden is seen with the two dogs during the presidential campaign

President Biden said they adopted Major on the advice from a vet, who said it would help keep the older dog more active.  

Major is the first rescue dog to have lived in the White House, having moved in after Biden’s inauguration in January.