Mittens, an 8-year-old cat, was forgotten in the cargo hold of an airplane and ended up embarking on a very long journey.
Margot Neas, the owner of Mittens, explained that she was moving from Christchurch, New Zealand, to Melbourne, Australia, with her family. They had bought one-way tickets to their new home on January 13.
However, Mittens, who was in a carrier in the airplane’s cargo hold, was never unloaded. Margot waited several hours at the airport for her cat, but was informed by the staff that the plane had returned to New Zealand with the feline still inside.
The staff from Air New Zealand explained that a wheelchair in the cargo hold had obstructed the view of Mittens’ carrier.
After a long flight from New Zealand to Australia, Mittens embarked on a second 7.5-hour journey back to her homeland. “I said, ‘How can this happen? How can this happen? Oh my God,'” Neas said.
The Air New Zealand pilot was informed about the extra passenger during the flight and turned on the heating in the cargo hold to keep Mittens comfortable.
“It wasn’t a good start to our new life in Melbourne because we didn’t have the family, we weren’t complete,” the owner of Mittens said. Fortunately, the saga had a happy ending.
The pet relocation company Neas hired to arrange Mittens’ travel found the cat on her return to Christchurch and ensured she was put back on the plane for another journey to Melbourne.
Mittens arrived safely in Australia after making three flights in 24 hours. In a statement, Air New Zealand said it would refund all costs associated with Mittens’ journey and apologized for the distress caused.
Meanwhile, Mittens, who is normally not an affectionate pet, is “more loving than ever,” according to Neas. “The cat is getting all the attention she wants now because we are absolutely and completely relieved to have her back.”
Photo and video: Instagram @margotneas. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
