India ‘Willie’ Bush, 18 years of love and companionship

George and Laura Bush adopted India in late 1991 when their twin daughters, Jenna and Barbara, were 9 years old.

At the time, Bush owned the Texas Ranger baseball team, and daughter Barbara named the ink-black cat after a star player, Rubén Sierra, who had the nickname “El Indio.”

The somewhat reclusive cat, who also had a nickname herself — Willie — moved with the family to the White House from the Texas Governor’s Mansion in 2001.

India was seen in some of the “Barneycam” videos shown on the White House website, however.

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The White House website revealed that India’s favorite room in the White House was the library.

Her favorite book was the children’s picture book If You Take a Mouse to the Movies, by Laura Numeroff and Felicia Bond.

The website listed her favorite food as tuna-flavored kitty treats and her favorite sport as hiding from her humans under the bed.

India crossed over the Rainbow Bridge at the age of 18 on Jan. 4, 2009, at the White House just weeks before the Bushes moved out in preparation for the Obama family.

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Laura Bush said, “India was a beloved member of the Bush family for almost two decades. She will be greatly missed.”

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