Pet Cat Accidentally Left On Plane Takes 3 New Zealand-Australia Flights In A Day

A cat was forced to make two unexpected trips between two countries after being accidentally left on a plane.

The cat had to undertake two additional flights after her owners discovered she had not been unloaded from the plane's cargo hold following the intended one-way trip.

According to a report by news agency Associated Press, the Maine coon cat was travelling to Melbourne, Australia, with her owners who were relocating from Christchurch, New Zealand.

Upon arriving in Melbourne, the family waited for Mittens, their 8-year-old cat, but she didn't arrive. After three hours, the owners were informed by ground staff that the Air New Zealand flight had returned to Christchurch with the cat still on board.

The incident occurred on January 13.

Three Trips in 24 Hours

Neas, the cat's owner, explained to AP that the family was anxious about Mittens, especially as the return flight involved nearly 7 and a half hours in the air.

"It was not a great start to our new life in Melbourne...," she said.

Neas explained that the Air New Zealand pilot was notified about the cat being on board, and the pilot turned on the heating in the cargo hold to keep Mittens comfortable.

Apparently, a stowed wheelchair had obscured the view of Mittens' cage, which led to the baggage handler not unloading it.

In a stroke of relief, the pet relocation company hired to handle Mittens' travel met her when the plane arrived in Christchurch and put her back on a flight to Melbourne.

This time, they made sure that the cat was unloaded at the airport.

Although Mittens weighed less upon return, there were no health concerns.

"...we're just so absolutely and utterly relieved to have her back," Neas said.

She noted that Mittens is not typically an affectionate pet, but, "she basically just ran into my arms and just snuggled up in here and just did the biggest cuddles of all time."

In a statement, Air New Zealand apologised to the family for the distress caused and assured that it would reimburse the entire cost of Mittens' travel.

"We'll work closely with our ground handler in Melbourne to ensure this doesn't happen again," said spokesperson Alisha Armstrong.