Second Lady Karen Pence shared some heartbreaking news with her Twitter followers on Saturday, confirming that the Pence’s family cat, Oreo, has died. According to ABC News, the second lady shared a heartfelt tribute to the family pet on Twitter, along with a photo of Oreo with Vice President Mike Pence.

“Rest in peace Oreo,” the second lady tweeted. “You touched a lot of hearts in your little life. Our family will miss you very much.”

Alongside her comments, Pence also shared a series of photos of Oreo and her family, including one of Vice President Mike Pence snuggling with the black-and-white feline. Another shows the Pences and their daughter Charlotte sitting on a doorstep with Oreo, the other family cat Pickles, and the family’s pet bunny Marlon Bundo.

According to New York Daily News, Oreo, who was 13-years-old, lived with Mike Pence and his family in Indianapolis whilst Pence was governor of Indiana. In January, the then-Vice President-elect shared a photo of himself, Karen, and Charlotte moving to Washington, DC, with Oreo and their other beloved pets. Pickles and Marlon Bundo continue to live with the second family in the Naval Observatory, which is the official residence of the vice president and his family.

Rest in peace Oreo. You touched a lot of hearts in your little life. Our family will miss you very much. pic.twitter.com/0Ar9Sr5kpz — Karen Pence (@SecondLady) June 10, 2017

Earlier this month, it emerged that the second lady had installed a new beehive at the vice president’s residence, which currently houses roughly 15,000 to 20,000 bees. Karen Pence has long been a vocal support of bee related causes, promising that she will devote her time in the Naval Observatory to supporting those causes.

“One out of every three bites of food consumed in the U.S. are made possible with the help of pollinators such as bees, butterflies, birds, and bats,” she said.

Karen Pence follows in the footsteps of former First Lady Michelle Obama, who installed the first beehive in the White House garden and eventually housed more than 35,000 bees. At the time, Obama used the honey, which she said “tastes like sunshine,” to produce tea, snacks, and the White House home-brewed beer. Pence, meanwhile, will use the honey to create gifts.

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Whilst the Pence family are clearly keen lovers of their pets, according to Raw Story, Donald Trump looks set to break with tradition by refusing to welcome a pet to the White House. Other presidents in the past have had a least one dog, while many had several. However, Trump isn’t thought to be keen on the idea of a White House pet.

Andrew Johnson was the last president not to bring any pets to the White House. In stark contrast, John F. Kennedy had a record 21 pets during his presidency, including horses, hamsters, and badgers. More recently, the Obamas had two Portuguese water dogs named Sunny and Bo, whilst George W. Bush had two terriers and a spaniel, along with his longhorn cow, Ofelia. Bill Clinton, meanwhile, had just one pet during his two terms in the White House, a labrador named Buddy.

Some White House pets: A cow, opossum, the Bushes' puppies (!) & Socks the cat (who I got a postcard from as a kid) https://t.co/SuO9VzNdmz pic.twitter.com/ftzB6I1Wb7 — Adrienne Vogt (@AdrienneVogt) February 21, 2017

It’s still early days for the Trump administration, meaning the president could still yet bring a pet into the White House. In fact, philanthropist Lois Pope reportedly initially offered Trump a Goldendoodle to live in the White House, however, she ended up keeping it for herself after falling in love with the animal.

Pet lovers will be waiting with bated breath to find out whether or not President Trump will keep with tradition by bringing a furry friend into the White House.

[Featured Image by Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images]