Cat owners would know how their pets can get mischievous at times.
Any pet can be quirky and naughty most of the time, but cats – often the males – have the knack for fun, play, and mischief.
Sure, they sleep most of the day and lie lazily even when awake.
But when they’re in the mood to play, prepare for chaos and trouble (in the cutest way, for sure.)
But nothing could be more mischievous than this cat found in a New York airport.
Any animal you’ll see in the airport is either caged or leashed to ensure control of them and won’t wreak havoc in such a public place.
However, one cat had a preferred way to “travel.”
This cat was found inside a suitcase as it went through the x-ray scan.
A Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Agent was surprised to see this figure as a red suitcase passed through the x-ray scanner.
This happened at John F. Kennedy International Airport last November 16, heading to Atlanta, a connecting flight to Florida.
Indeed, it’s not something you see every day.
You can see its orange fur sticking out through the zipper.
According to TSA Spokesperson Lisa Farbstein, the suitcase owner didn’t own the cat.
They said it was a cat from someone in the same household and may have jumped in the luggage and got itself closed in.
Had the TSA agent not found the cat, it could have lost one of its “nine lives.”
The bag was in the final check before all baggage went into the plane’s cargo.
It would have been most unfortunate cat-astrophe had it reached the pressurized aircraft.
The authorities got the cat out of the bag and back to safety.
It “was implied” that the furball saw the open suitcase and jumped in without the traveler seeing it, Farbstein told NBC News.
Most cat parents would know that a suitcase is one place a cat would love to hang out.
According to Animal Behavior Expert Katherine Houpt, cats like to stay in little nooks or nook-like things, especially those spaces with barriers around them.
This helps explain why that feline was found inside the suitcase, just like how you would often find cats loving the confines of any box.
However, there are other reasons for a cat to do so: to signal how they feel.
“And presumably, it smells like the owner, and I think they associate it with an impending loss. They might not necessarily want to prevent that owner from going, but perhaps at least they want to signal stress,” Houpt added.
So, how can you avoid this when you have cats at home?
You can pack your luggage in a room your cats can’t access.
Once you’re done, lock the zippers because they could still find a way to zip that open, especially if they’re persistent.
Another way to do it is to pack on an elevated platform.
While cats can jump higher than most pets, at least you would notice when they do and prevent them from getting in or taking them out quickly.
Share this article with family and friends, and save a cat’s life from potential doom at the airport.
