Cat found in luggage at New York airport didn’t belong to the traveler, TSA says

A cat went through airport security inside someone’s luggage in New York, officials say.

A Transportation Security Administration officer noticed the cat on the X-ray machine used to examine incoming luggage at John F. Kennedy airport, according to Lisa Farbstein, a spokesperson for the TSA.

“The X-ray machine is this cat’s new best friend,” Farbstein said on Twitter.

TSA shared the X-ray image that showed the cat inside the suitcase, as well as one that showed the cat’s orange fur poking out from the zipper.

“Traveler said the cat belonged to someone else in his household,” Farbstein wrote. “On the bright side, the cat’s out of the bag and safely back home.”

Twitter users shared their concern for the cat in the comments. Some also seemed to suggest it was an understandable mistake, since some cats love to jump inside suitcases and sit on the clothes.

“First rule of packing…cat attendance! Last thing before leaving home? Cat attendance!” one user wrote.

“Have you ever packed a suitcase with a cat in the room? They love to jump in and snuggle in the clothes,” another person said.

Others thought it seemed suspicious and wondered how no one would have heard the cat.

“Were they intentionally traveling with the cat? Otherwise, how does it end up in there mistakenly, and wouldn’t it have been meowing to get out of there?” one user asked.

According to TSA’s website, small pets are allowed through the checkpoint. But you’re supposed to take them out of their carrying case when you put the case through the X-ray machine.

“You should maintain control of your pet with a leash and remember to remove the leash when carrying your pet through the metal detector,” the website states.

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