TSA agents at New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport (JFK) came across an unusual restricted item when a live cat was discovered inside a checked-in bag on November 16, 2022.
An orange cat was found inside a passenger’s checked bag after it went through an X-ray machine.
Based on local media reports, a TSA spokesperson said that the traveler told officers the cat belonged to someone else in the household.
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
“The cat did not belong to the individual with the suitcase, it belonged to someone else in the household,” TSA spokeswoman Lisa Farbstein told NBC News.
The discovery saved the luggage-hopping feline, as it likely would not have survived the pressurized cargo hold.
Instagram user @alexaugustalex claimed ownership of the stowaway cat, whose name is Smells, and posted a story showing the sneaky feline trying to get inside a suitcase, implying that Smells has a habit of stowing away.
Credit: IG: @alexaugustalex
Credit: IG: @alexaugustalex
The cat’s travel plans may have been thwarted, but it is at least safe and back with its owner.
