WASHINGTON, April 19 — A cat found its way onto the heavily secured north lawn of the White House in Washington yesterday, causing a stir among journalists who documented the appearance of the grey, green-eyed pet named Sophie on social media.
Eventually, with the help of White House staff, the owner was located.
Sophie even briefly ended up in the famous briefing room, where reporters usually direct their questions to Karoline Leavitt, the spokeswoman for US President Donald Trump, reported German news agency dpa.
Sophie, a house cat, is held by a member of the White House press corps after it made its way through a security fence at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., April 18, 2025. — Reuters pic
On the platform X, one reporter shared news of the sighting and explained that Sophie was wearing a collar and possibly an Airtag, a small tracking device that allows objects or pets to be located via smartphone.
In a video, a journalist is seen holding the animal in her arms and joking that it “could have some kind of listening device.”
Sophie was eventually reunited with her owner.
Sophie, a house cat, walks through the White House grounds after it made its way through a security fence at the White House, in Washington, D.C., U.S. April 18, 2025. — Reuters pic
As the incident happened to occur on Good Friday, one reporter dubbed it Good Friday news.
The area around the White House is one of the most heavily secured facilities in the world. The Secret Service monitors every movement; cameras and access barriers protect the area around the clock.
Recently, however, a toddler managed to gain access: The boy apparently slipped through the fence unnoticed and was shortly thereafter returned to his parents by security forces. — Bernama/dpa