A cat named Mittens traveled from New Zealand to Australia three times in just 24 hours. For good reason, his cage had been forgotten in the hold of the plane taken by his owner on January 13, reports CNN. They had boarded in Christchurch, on the south island of New Zealand, to reach their home in Melbourne. A journey of approximately 7.5 hours.
The cage hidden by a wheelchair
Arriving at her destination, Mittens' owner waited for her Maine Coon in the cargo area for almost three hours, to no avail. She then alerted Air New Zealand staff… too late: the plane had already left for Christchurch, with Mittens on board. “How can this happen?” Oh my God ! “, declared Margo Neas, its owner. The reason for this imbroglio? A wheelchair would have hidden the feline's cage and the baggage handlers would not have seen it when the plane was unloaded.
Informed of the presence of the 8-year-old animal, the pilot took care to heat the hold to ensure his comfort. On arrival in Christchurch, the animal transport company hired by the owners collected Mittens before replacing him on a flight to Melbourne. A one-way ticket this time.
A happy ending
The owner picked up their cat, which had lost a little weight but was not injured. “Normally, Mittens is not very cuddly, but this time, she was more cuddly than ever,” Margo Neas told the Anglo-Saxon media.
-Air New Zealand, for its part, apologized and undertook to reimburse all costs linked to the incident.
