TSA officer shocked to find live cat stuck in checked luggage at JFK airport (PHOTOS)
An X-ray scan of a checked bag at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport led to the shocking discovery of a furry stowaway.
A Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officer found more than toiletries and a bottle of wine in the luggage of a Delta Airlines passenger on November 16.
According to TSA spokesperson Lisa Farbstein, an alarm went off, alerting officers to a suspicious object in a checked bag.
Agents looked at an X-ray image that showed a clear outline of an animal.
“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!'” tweeted the TSA on Tuesday.
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
Based on the photos, they found a chonky, orange tabby folded up among the passenger’s clothes.
But how did the feline flight risk get there?
Farbstein told The Washington Post that the TSA contacted the Orlando-bound passenger, who said the cat was not his but belonged to someone else in his household.
“On the bright side, the cat’s out of the bag and safely back home,” tweeted the TSA spokesperson with a photo of the cat’s fur peaking out of the suitcase.
A @TSA officer was shocked to find an orange cat inside a checked bag at @JFKairport after it went through the X-ray unit. Traveler said the cat belonged to someone else in his household. On the bright side, the cat’s out of the bag and safely back home. pic.twitter.com/5XZVJLaZNm
— Lisa Farbstein, TSA Spokesperson (@TSA_Northeast) November 22, 2022
Unfortunately for the passenger, the incident caused him to miss his flight. Farbstein told The Post that the traveller was able to rebook for the next day “without the cat!”
This isn’t the first feline fiasco at an airport.
In July, a cat escaped from a crate and got lost at Toronto Pearson while waiting for a WestJet flight.
Follow Channels and Categories