Open Post: Hosted By The Stowaway Cat Who Was Found By TSA

November 26, 2022 / Posted by:

With the holidays in full swing, it’s prime traveling season. Whether by plane, train, or automobile, people are packing the essentials for traveling to their families. Some pack gifts, some pack extra valium, and others inadvertently pack cats. This was stupidly the case last week when a cat named Smells (yes, Smells!) was found trapped inside luggage headed for Orlando, Florida. We are all aware that cats can squeeze into anything, but I would believe people are also aware that we shouldn’t stuff them into carry-on suitcases!

During a routine check, TSA was shocked to discover that instead of the usual contraband like knives, toothpaste over 100ml, or unpasteurized cheese, they found a full-blown feline in the X-Ray machine. via CNN:

People take strange things on planes — that’s nothing new. And the suitcase checked for a journey from New York JFK to Orlando, Florida, on November 16 certainly contained some oddities. As it rolled through the X-ray machine, TSA officials could see what appeared to be bottles, wine glasses, a pair of flip flops — and a life-size outline of a cat.

It turned out that the outline was life-size because the cat was a real cat: ginger, alive and, apparently, unharmed by its past few hours of being stuffed into a suitcase and flung around on its way onto the plane. A plane where, of course, it could easily have died in the hold during the flight.

The officers who saw the image, and then opened the case to find the cat, were “shocked,” TSA spokesperson Lisa Farbstein told CNN.

Despite them dealing daily with everything from unauthorized firearms to illicit cranberry sauce, “It’s rare to discover a live animal in a checked bag,” she said. Luckily, the cat didn’t try to run away when they opened the case.

The owner of the item was called over to explain why he hadn’t let this particular cat out of the bag. The passenger gave the same excuse that you used when you were 14, and your parents caught you with some weed: the cat wasn’t his and belonged to a friend! After TSA presumably gave him the biggest side-eye known to man, the person suggested that the cat jumped into the suitcase by itself without him noticing. He just closed the bag and quickly left. Poor Smells even had its fur caught in the zippers! For those of you who are worried, the cat is safely back at home with his rightful owner. Hopefully, Smells has learned his lesson and realizes that sometimes a trip to Orlando just isn’t worth it!

Pic: Twitter / Instagram

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