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Vice president-elect Mike Pence arrived in the Washington area Monday on board the plane that will become Air Force Two when he's sworn into office
His wife, daughter, two cats and pet rabbit accompanied him on the flight
Pence's temporary move to D.C. was met with protest in November, as neighbors flew rainbow flags by his rented apartment
The former Indiana governor is set to move to the Naval Observatory after the inauguration

Published: 18:38 EST, 9 January 2017 | Updated: 08:21 EST, 10 January 2017

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Vice president-elect Mike Pence made his official D.C. debut on Monday afternoon, flying into the Washington area from Indiana on an official plane with his family - and their beloved pets.

Arriving at Joint Base Andrews in Prince George's County, Maryland, Pence, 57, his wife Karen, 58, and their daughter Charlotte, 22, made their way off the Air Force plane into the cold, blustery weather.

But arguably the most important passengers were the family's three pets: cats Oreo and Pickle, and rabbit Marlon Bundo.

Marlon was taken off the plane in his cage by aides, while the two cats were carried off in Mrs Pence and Charlotte's arms.

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On the move: Vice-president elect Pence tweeted from inside the Air Force plane which he will use as Air Force Two once he is sworn in on January 20

Pence arrived in the Washington area on Monday, along with his wife Karen, his daughter Charlotte and their three pets

VIP treatment: Marlon Bundo was carried off the Air Force plane by aides in his cage, with water on tap. He will be moving shortly to the Naval Observatory in Northwest D.C.

Smooth passage: Marlon Bundo, despite being named for a volatile actor, traveled well - but Pickle did not. An aide disclosed that the cat was sick during the flight

It was not all smooth flying for the family, however - Pickles was sick during the 500 mile trip on board the adapted Boeing 757, which will gain the call sign Air Force Two once Pence is sworn in.

Pence and his wife will move into the vice president's residence at the Naval Observatory in Northwest D.C. after the inauguration on January 20.

Tweeting his thanks to current vice president Joe Biden for loaning him the official plane, Pence wrote: 'Departing Indiana to begin our service to USA. Grateful to people of Hoosier state. Thanks to @VP for plane to pickup the Pence family.'

The two other Pence children were not on the flight to D.C.

Michael, 24, is a Marine Corps 2nd lieutenant, training to be a pilot. Audrey, 21, attends Hanover College, in Hanover, Indiana and has described herself in the past as socially liberal.

Her older sister Charlotte graduated in June from DePaul College, Chicago, with a degree in digital cinema and English. Having previously been described as planning to be an independent film-maker, an aide said she was 'in transition'.

Despite his official move-in, however, Pence is off to a rocky start living in the nation's capital.

When the former Indiana governor set up temporary digs in the Chevy Chase neighborhood of Northwest D.C. this past November and December - a 2,500 square foot apartment set at $6,000 a month - he was met with skepticism from his new neighbors.

Many decided to fly rainbow flags by their doors and mailboxes as an act of protest to Pence's previous votes on gay rights.

Despite arriving to cold weather in D.C. today, Pence is accustomed to receiving a chilly welcome in the nation's capital

After he moved into Chevy Chase in November, many of his neighbors decided to fly rainbow flags by their doors and mailboxes as an act of protest to several of Pence's stances on gay rights

A home flies the rainbow flag in solidarity with the LGBT community, just two doors down from the Pence's rental home

A decade ago, Pence supported an amendment to the constitution that would have banned same-sex marriage, and in 2015 he signed the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, sparking claims that it would lead to discrimination against the LGBT community.

'I think he’s a man who can use a little reminder of American values, so I think that’s a good gesture,' one neighbor told CBS affiliate WUSA.

'We want to make clear how we feel about how other people should be treated,' another neighbor added.

The Pence children were largely brought up in Virginia when their father was serving in Congress, from 2001 until 2013. By the time he and his wife moved full time to Indiana - when he won the governorship - all had graduated high school.