TSA Agents Surprised To Find Live Cat Hidden In Checked Suitcase
It’s no secret that cats can be masters of hiding. We once tore the entire house apart searching for my friend’s cat, going as far as to look outside and under cars. The cat was nowhere to be found, she’d completely vanished. But that evening, we saw her casually stroll out from my friend’s closet, a closet we searched at least 3 times. It was a relief, but also frustrating.
There’s just something about perfect little hiding spots that have an allure to cats. They love tucking themselves into boxes, drawers, cupboards, closets, and even suitcases.
It seems one orange tabby cat found a comfortable place to nap in a suitcase, but the cat’s owner didn’t realize he was napping there.
It wasn’t until the same suitcase was checked through Delta that the cat’s napping spot was revealed.
Lisa Farbstein, a TSA spokesperson, tweeted about the incident. In the tweet, she wrote:
“A @TSA officer was shocked to find an orange cat inside a checked bag at @JFKairport after it went through the X-ray unit. Traveler said the cat belonged to someone else in his household. On the bright side, the cat’s out of the bag and safely back home.”
A @TSA officer was shocked to find an orange cat inside a checked bag at @JFKairport after it went through the X-ray unit. Traveler said the cat belonged to someone else in his household. On the bright side, the cat’s out of the bag and safely back home. pic.twitter.com/5XZVJLaZNm
— Lisa Farbstein, TSA Spokesperson (@TSA_Northeast) November 22, 2022
The Transportation Security Administration also shared about the incident on Twitter, saying:
“This CATch had our baggage screening officers at John F. Kennedy International Airport – JFK saying, ‘Come on meow’!”
We’re letting the cat out of the bag on a hiss-toric find. This CATch had our baggage screening officers @JFKairport saying, “Come on meow”! Feline like you have travel questions reach out to our furiends @AskTSA. They’re available every day, from 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. (ET). pic.twitter.com/LpIkLbAgzC
— TSA (@TSA) November 22, 2022
According to NBC News, the incident happened on November 16 when the bag was checked from JFK to Atlanta.
Farbstein spoke with NBC News and explained that the cat didn’t belong to the person who had the checked bag. Instead, it belonged to someone else in the household. It’s believed the cat saw the open suitcase and jumped in and no one noticed.
According to CNN, the passenger who checked the bag was paged to explain the situation, and they allegedly acted surprised, despite the cat being on the top of the luggage and even having fur sticking out of the zipper. It’d be hard to miss, but the airline didn’t involve animal welfare authorities. Instead, the cat was safely returned to its owner.
