The 8-year-old Maine coon cat made three trips in 24 hours between New Zealand and Australia before she was reunited with her family.
WELLINGTON, New Zealand — Mittens, an 8-year-old Maine coon cat, had an unexpected adventure this month when she unintentionally became a frequent flyer, making three trips in 24 hours between New Zealand and Australia after her cage was overlooked in the cargo hold of a plane.
Mittens was booked for a one-way flight with her family from Christchurch, New Zealand, to their new home in Melbourne, Australia, on January 13. However, as her owner, Margo Neas, waited for the cat to be unloaded, three hours passed with no sign of her furry friend.
It was then that ground staff informed Neas that the plane had made a return trip to New Zealand — with Mittens still on board. The flight, which was about 7.5 hours long, had already taken off again.
“I couldn’t believe it. How could this happen? Oh my God,” Neas recalled. The airline pilot was alerted about the unexpected passenger mid-flight and took steps to ensure Mittens was comfortable, turning on the heating in the cargo hold. Neas later learned that a stowed wheelchair had blocked the view of the baggage handler, preventing them from seeing Mittens’ cage.
Though Neas was understandably upset by the mix-up, she found solace in the fact that the pet moving company she had arranged to handle Mittens’ travel made sure the cat was safely returned to Christchurch. From there, they made sure she boarded another flight — this time, just to Melbourne.
Though Mittens had lost some weight, she was otherwise unharmed.
“When I finally saw her, she just ran straight into my arms and cuddled up to me like never before,” Neas said. “It was such a huge relief.”
In response to the situation, Air New Zealand has promised to reimburse all travel-related expenses for Mittens and apologized for the distress the incident caused.
“We will work closely with our ground handling team in Melbourne to prevent something like this from happening again,” said Alisha Armstrong, a spokesperson for the airline.
As for Mittens, who’s usually not very affectionate, Neas says she has never been more loving.
“She’s the cuddliest she’s ever been,” Neas shared. “She gets all the attention she wants right now because we’re just so happy to have her back safe and sound.”