Cat left on plane makes three trips in 24 hours
A cat logged three flights in 24 hours after it was mistakenly left on a plane.
Mittens, an eight-year-old Maine Coon, was aboard an Air New Zealand flight from Christchurch to Melbourne on Jan. 12.
Owner Margo Neas waited for the feline to be unloaded from the cargo hold but three hours later, she was nowhere to be seen.
Ground staff later told Neas that the plane Mittens was on had already returned to New Zealand.
"I said, how can this happen? How can this happen? Oh my God," Neas said, according to CBS News.
A flight from Christchurch, New Zealand to Melbourne, Australia takes about four hours and 2,450 km. The return trip takes about seven and a half hours.
The pilot was told that Mittens was still on the flight so the heating in the cargo hold was turned up to keep her comfortable.
Reports said a stowed wheelchair may have obscured a baggage handler's view of the feline's crate.
"It was not a great start to our new life in Melbourne because we didn't have the family, we weren't complete," Neas said.
Mittens' trip ended on a happy note as Neas used a pet moving company to meet the cat in Christchurch to ensure she was back on a one-way flight to Melbourne.
The Maine Coon lost weight but was unharmed.
"She basically just ran into my arms and just snuggled up in here and just did the biggest cuddles of all time," Neas said. "It was just such a relief."
She also shared that Mittens wasn't typically affectionate but the cat was the "cuddliest she's ever been."
"The cat gets as much attention as she wants right now because we're just so absolutely and utterly relieved to have her back."
Air New Zealand apologized for the incident and promised to reimburse Neas' travel costs.
"We'll work closely with our ground handler in Melbourne to ensure this doesn't happen again, spokesperson Alisha Armstrong said, as per the Guardian.