Washington  - Socks, the famous first pet of the Clinton White House, was put to sleep Friday after several months of cancer treatment.

Socks entered the home of then Arkansas governor Bill Clinton, rescued by his daughter Chelsea. The cat later moved into the White House with president Clinton, his wife Hillary and Chelsea.

"Socks brought much happiness to Chelsea and us over the years, and enjoyment to kids and cat lovers everywhere. We're grateful for those memories," the Clintons said in a statement.

When the Clintons shifted out of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in 2001, Socks moved in with Clinton's secretary Betty Currie in suburban Virginia.

The black-and-white cat was quite famous. He had his own Socks the Cat Fan Club and featured in the 1998 book, Dear Socks, Dear Buddy: Kids' Letters to the First Pets, which now Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton published to raise funds for charitable causes. (dpa)