Pets

TSA finds cat in checked baggage — you won’t believe what its owner said

By
Emily Lefroy and
Hannah Frishberg
Published Nov. 22, 2022
Updated Nov. 23, 2022, 11:58 a.m. ET
TSA shocked when it finds cat in checked baggage
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A sneaky feline tried to have a little Thanksgiving getaway — until he was discovered by TSA agents.

The orange cat was discovered at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport on Tuesday morning after an agent spotted some orange hair poking out of the zipper of the suitcase.

A spokesperson for the Transportation Security Administration told The Post that the traveler was not aware that he had a cat in his luggage.

TSA spokesperson Lisa Farbstein said in a statement that the agent was “shocked” by the furry discovery in the luggage, which had been checked in and X-rayed.

“Traveler said the cat belonged to someone else in his household,” Farbstein explained.

In a picture accompanying the tweet, tufts of ginger fur were poking out of the black suitcase between the gaps of the orange zipper, which had come undone.

A cat named Smells was an unexpected stowaway at JFK.
A cat named Smells was an unexpected stowaway at JFK. Shutterstock
Officials spotted ginger hair poking out from the suitcase, which had been checked in for the flight.
Officials spotted ginger hair poking out from the suitcase’s zipper, which had been checked in for the flight. TSA
The airport X-ray scanner reveals the cat besides toiletries.
The airport X-ray scanner reveals the cat besides toiletries. TSA

“We’re letting the cat out of the bag on a hiss-toric find,” the agency wrote on Twitter. “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).”

Farbstein confirmed the cat didn’t belong to the traveler but was now back where it belonged: “On the bright side, the cat’s out of the bag and safely back home,” she joked.

Meanwhile, when tracked down by The Post, the kitty’s owner said the furball — named “Smells” — must have crawled into their house guest’s bag while she was at work. She didn’t realize the orange tabby was missing until she got a ring from an airport official.

The traveler was reportedly shocked after the cat was discovered in the luggage.
The traveler was reportedly shocked after the cat was discovered in the luggage. TSA
The accidental stowaway — named Smells — strikes a pose for The Post.
The accidental stowaway — named Smells — strikes a pose for The Post. Submitted photo

“An officer called and asked if I wanted to press charges” against her guest, 37-year-old Brooklyn resident Alix — whose last name withheld for privacy reasons— told The Post. “He wanted to know if there was any reason he was trying to steal my cat and go to Florida.”

Authorities were ready to brand the man a catnapper and put him on the No Fly list but Alix reassured them it was a mistake. “Our cats really like to check out bags and boxes and apparently one of them climbed into his suitcase. It was just an accident,” the owner said.

Immediately after getting the call Alix’s fiancé got a car to JFK to rescue the frazzled feline — only to discover the cat was entirely unbothered by the ordeal.

“I was worried he’d be freaked out but he wasn’t even meowing on the way back,” she said. “I went to give him some extra treats and he acted like nothing had happened.”

“I was worried he’d be freaked out but he wasn’t even meowing on the way back,” she said. “I went to give him some extra treats and he acted like nothing had happened.”
“I was worried he’d be freaked out but he wasn’t even meowing on the way back,” Smells owner Alix told The Post. “I went to give him some extra treats and he acted like nothing had happened.” Courtesy Alix P.
TSA agents were 'shocked' by the furry find.
TSA agents were “shocked” by the furry find. AP

Most American airlines allow cats and dogs to fly with their owners in the main cabin, providing they meet the size, age and destination requirements within the USA on flights up to 12 hours.

TSA agents are often treated to peculiar finds. Earlier this month, TSA agents in a Florida airport found a firearm stuffed inside a whole, uncooked chicken.