Missing cat at the airport! **UPDATE HE WAS FOUND**

[Dax]

OMG..I work at the Orlando Airport, over on the terminal near Delta and Airtran. We were watching some Delta employees poking around out office building, and one came in and asked if we had seen a cat...

Seems they were unloading the cat from cargo, and his cage fell apart, he made a run for it. Well they cornered him, and well we all knows what happens when you corner a cat...He has since disappeared.

Now this is a HUGE airport...and it is VERY VERY noisy today around here, more so than normal. The owner is frantic(dont blame them) and they have been looking for 4 hrs at least. We suggested using one of the customs dogs to help sniff him out...not sure if they will use that suggestion.

Its sad...and a PSA for anyone traveling with a pet...SECURE the cages!


UPDATE - 6/21 Harry the cat was found this morning after 3 weeks on the loose. He tore up one of my coworkers, but he will be going home today. A happy ending to the tale!

 

[Magpie]

Oh... poor cat, poor owner! I hope they find the cat soon.

 

[fluffycow333]

Poor kitty

 

[mbfqueen]

Oh my goodness! I would die if my kitty(s) were loose in an airport!

Two of mine would cower and probably have a heart attack lol .. the other 3 would DEF. bolt!

 

[almacdonald]

Delta lost a dog last month and offered to refund the $200 pet transportation fee in the form of a travel credit for a future Delta flight. (Like I'd be flying Delta ever again if they lost my dog!)

http://consumerist.com/2010/05/delta-loses-entire-dog.html

 

[RadioNate]

That is HORRIBLE. I'd be crushed. We are moving next week and over the past few weeks my DH has flown our cats 1 by 1 to the new location with him. We didn't check them with baggage though.

He put them both under the seat.

One is really good on the plane. The 2nd one probably should have been 'checked' as she was a nightmare. I feel bad for the people on the plane because she cried a lot but there wasn't really any way to stop her.

I think DH would have left that cat here but she is the kids and my daughter adores her.

I think I've be devastated it they had lost either one of ours!

 

[MineMail]

So sad - the poor cat must be terrified. My old feline would be easy to reclaim because he loves people and is terrified of noise and traffic. He'd jump in the nearest lap and cower.

I wonder if a Have-a-heart trap would help retrieve the lost cat?
http://www.havahart.com/store/live-animal-traps/stray-cat

We used one to relocate some squirrels from MIL's attic and a raccoon that had set up a nest in the garage. It's a humane way to capture and detain small animals without injuring them or yourself.

My BIL added a few extra bolts to his cat's carrier and secured the halves with zip ties, just to be sure she didn't get out in transit.

Hope they find the cat soon.

 

[FergieTCat]

I will bet the cat is hiding somewhere dark and safe, like a closet. And probably so terrified that he won't respond to people. I know that's what Fergie would do.

Poor cat!

 

[Dax]

Problem is poor kitty is not INSIDE...HE IS OUTSIDE!!!! No where to really go, but woods...or near where the planes are parked...NOT a good place for a cat...Noisy and TONS of traffic

 

[Imzadi]

That is HORRIBLE. I'd be crushed. We are moving next week and over the past few weeks my DH has flown our cats 1 by 1 to the new location with him. We didn't check them with baggage though.

He put them both under the seat.

One is really good on the plane. The 2nd one probably should have been 'checked' as she was a nightmare. I feel bad for the people on the plane because she cried a lot but there wasn't really any way to stop her.

I think DH would have left that cat here but she is the kids and my daughter adores her.

I think I've be devastated it they had lost either one of ours!

I'd be devastated too.

I can't fly with my kitty. My kitty is a real meowser. Most of my flights end up being 5-6 hours long. No way would she live through that long of a flight without someone, (myself included,) murdering her because she would MEOW the WHOLE 6 hour flight. I could never go to the bathroom, leaving her alone, during the flight, for fear of what someone might do to shut her up.

 

[JessicaR]

I hope they found him! It is so important to use secure cages! Poor kitty.

 

[RadioNate]

I'd be devastated too.

I can't fly with my kitty. My kitty is a real meowser. Most of my flights end up being 5-6 hours long. No way would she live through that long of a flight without someone, (myself included,) murdering her because she would MEOW the WHOLE 6 hour flight. I could never go to the bathroom, leaving her alone, during the flight, for fear of what someone might do to shut her up.

Yeah - this one won't fly again. I guess she did stop for the bulk of the flight (cruising altitude, lol) but she was loud on take off and the entire decent and landing. My DH said he was mortified and the more he tried to talk to her etc, the worse she got.

It was Southwest and the "funny" flight attendants were making cat jokes during the safety spiel, like put on your own oxygen mask before helping kids and cats.

Of course I am just a wee bit glad I don't have to do a 4 day drive with her and 2 kids.

This cat is kinda a pain in the rear anyway but the kids (my daughter especially) adore her. The little neighbor girl LOVES this cat and my DH did try to offer it to her as our "going away present" but he was (mostly) joking.

OP, any news. Did they find the lost kitty yet. I'll be at the airport in a few hours, I'll keep an eye out or something. Poor kitty and poor owners.

 

[Imzadi]

I'll be at the airport in a few hours, I'll keep an eye out or something. Poor kitty and poor owners.

Bring tuna! Drain it and put it in a baggie. It should make it through the security checkpoint that way. Maybe if they use bait for the kitty, later tonight, after the airport is pretty shut down, she might come out.

 

[MineMail]

Problem is poor kitty is not INSIDE...HE IS OUTSIDE!!!! No where to really go, but woods...or near where the planes are parked...NOT a good place for a cat...Noisy and TONS of traffic

Oh, no! That's a bad place to be in a busy airport like Orlando. Reminds me of "Vivi" the Whippet show dog that escaped from her carrier at JFK airport a few years back. The owners kept up the search for over a year afterwards. I don't think they ever found her.


Hoping for good news in this case.

 

[auntie]

Oh, this is just a pet owners worst nightmare. Be it a dog or a cat. What a shame. Please keep us updated. I do hope the cat is found. Must be terrified.
Much as I hate to do it..it's more a reason to board your animals at the vet. While they may not like spending a week or so in a cage..at least they'll be there (God willing) when you get home.

 

[lacrosse_lady72]

I don't plan on going anywhere overseas with my pets so if I need to take any one of the anywhere... I'm driving! I don't care how inconvenient it is, especially as I hate road trips, but I will never risk my pets for my convenience. And if I was ever told I needed to be somewhere right away... I'd tell them too bad, because we're driving.

 

[bumbershoot]

Oh, this is just a pet owners worst nightmare. Be it a dog or a cat.

Definitely.

My mom was pregnant with me, her father had died, she had to go to his funeral in Florida, and at the very last moment, my father told my mother that he absolutely would NOT take care of their dog (they were still married, FYI, it was *their* dog). Either there weren't as many boarding kennels in San Francisco as there likely are now, or it was completely out of her price range, I don't know, but my dad was basically telling her that he would let the dog loose.

So she crated him up and had him put in the belly of the plane...

And during a plane change, they misplaced him. I think it took something like a day to find him and get him to her. She was, to put it mildly, beyond distraught.

Thankfully he was found...and then of course they had to go back home again after the funeral...not fun.


Years later, she was remarrying and moving from CA to Miami FL, and for whatever reason (perhaps my brother's school?) they *had to* fly, and she had to put another malamute in a crate and put him in the belly of the plane...she was very very much NOT happy with that. Thankfully, no one lost him.

 

[Dax]

Hey all, OP here..

I do not have an update yet, as I am not going back to work until Tuesday. I have emailed my coworker though who is there today so maybe she can get me an update. I will let you know if they have any more info.

 

[lacrosse_lady72]

Hey all, OP here..

I do not have an update yet, as I am not going back to work until Tuesday. I have emailed my coworker though who is there today so maybe she can get me an update. I will let you know if they have any more info.

Aw.... I really hope the kitty can be found.

 

[Dax]

Morning all,

An update, though not a positive one..cat is STILL missing, no change. They have put up flyers and the kitty is microchipped, so hopefully he can be found soon...

And to make it worse..a dog is ALSO missing...USAir lost him on Sat sometime...though he has been spotted, but still not captured...what a shame