An alligator, tiger cubs, and a dog named Satan - these are the weirdest presidential pets in history

• Many of the 45 presidents of the United States have been animal lovers, with pet choices far beyond the ordinary run of cats and dogs.
• Some were given exotic pets by foreign dignitaries, with President John Quincy Adams keeping an alligator in a bathtub.
• President Martin van Buren fought Congress to keep two tiger cubs.
• Other presidents have bought farmyard animals to live on the grounds of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue: Woodrow Wilson had a flock of sheep, and JFK's daughter had a pony.
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Many of the residents of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue have been animal lovers, with the hallowed presidential tradition of keeping a pet in the White House stretching back to its very first occupant, John Adams.

The most popular pet by some way is a dog, owned by 30 of the 45 presidents.

Some have even gone on to be famous in their own right - Barack Obama's dog Bo was a frequent star of White House photo ops.

But some presidents have brought somewhat more exotic pets with them to the White House, with Theodore Roosevelt and Calvin Coolidge owning a large menageries during their times.

Below, Business Insider looks at seven of the strangest.