Gov. Roy Cooper’s pets join Facebook – including a praying mantis named Fred

Gov. Roy Cooper’s two dogs, two cats and pet praying mantis now have their own Facebook page.

The page “First Pets of North Carolina” includes photos of all five pets that have moved into the governor’s mansion. It’s unclear who created the page, but Cooper’s daughter Hilary contributed at least a few of the photos.

The page includes detailed biographies of the pets – including an explanation of why a praying mantis has taken up residence in the mansion.

Winnifred “Fred” Cooper is described as the “First Mantis of NC” and belongs to Cooper’s daughter, Natalie, who’s an insect enthusiast.

“Despite not being warm and fuzzy, Fred is treated like a princess who is fed the highest quality flies and only snacks on raw, local North Carolina honey,” the Facebook page says. “When she stays at the main household, her palace (enclosure) hangs from the ceiling to keep her out of the claws of the Cooper cats.”

Asked about the praying mantis, Cooper spokesman Ford Porter said “as the governor said, this is a North Carolina for all. And the Cooper family cares for creatures great and small.”

Dome was unaware that it was possible to keep a praying mantis as a pet. But a quick internet search confirmed that this is indeed a thing, and one can even buy praying mantis eggs online.

The “First Pets of North Carolina” page also includes details about the Cooper family’s more traditional pets: Dogs Ben and Chloe, and cats Adelaide and Alexei.

“When our First Lady saw her sweet fuzzy face at the vet's office, she fell in love,” the page says about Adelaide “Addy” Cooper, a cat that’s been with the family for three years. “Since then, she's been a lovely addition to the Cooper crew and a fiesty playmate for her big brother, Alex. Interests include yarn, fireplaces, and killing rats.”

While Cooper has more pets than his predecessor, Pat McCrory, the governor’s mansion is already dog friendly. McCrory’s dog Moe also had his own Facebook page and occasionally appeared in videos with the governor.

And U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis’ dog, Ike, became internet famous back in October when Tillis interviewed Ike about his election-related anxiety.

Here’s more on Cooper’s pets from the Facebook page:

This story was originally published January 13, 2017 at 10:52 AM with the headline "Gov. Roy Cooper’s pets join Facebook – including a praying mantis named Fred."