Margo Neas is seen holding her cat, Mittens, at their home in Melbourne, Australia, on Wednesday, January 22, 2025. AP Photo
A Maine coon cat named Mittens became an unlikely jetsetter after a mix-up led her to travel three times in 24 hours between New Zealand and Australia. The incident began when Mittens, aged 8, was booked to travel from Christchurch, New Zealand, to Melbourne, Australia, on January 13. Her family was excited to reunite with her in Melbourne, but things didn't go as planned.
As the family awaited her arrival, they were shocked to learn that Mittens was nowhere to be found. Three hours passed with no sign of her, and when they finally contacted ground staff, they were informed that Mittens was still aboard the plane, which had already made its way back to New Zealand.
Owner Margo Neas was in disbelief. "I said, how can this happen? How can this happen? Oh my God," she recalled. It turns out, a stowed wheelchair had blocked the view of Mittens' cage, leading to her being overlooked by baggage handlers.
The flight, which took about 7.5 hours, was still in progress when the ground staff realized the error. The pilot was immediately informed of the extra passenger, and to ensure Mittens' comfort, the heating in the cargo hold was turned on. Despite the unusual circumstances, Mittens was safe during her unintended detour.
Neas was understandably upset, saying that the ordeal didn’t start well for their new life in Melbourne since the family wasn’t complete without Mittens. However, the story ended on a positive note. The pet relocation service Neas had used to arrange the travel quickly made arrangements for Mittens’ return journey to Melbourne. This time, the cat was safely sent on a one-way trip.
When Mittens finally arrived in Melbourne, she had lost some weight but was otherwise unharmed. Neas described the moment of reunion, saying, “She basically just ran into my arms and just snuggled up in here and just did the biggest cuddles of all time.” It was a much-needed and heartfelt reunion.
In response to the incident, Air New Zealand has apologized and assured that they would cover all costs related to Mittens' travel. They also vowed to take steps to prevent such a mix-up from happening again, with spokesperson Alisha Armstrong stating, “We’ll work closely with our ground handler in Melbourne to ensure this doesn’t happen again.”
Mittens, usually not a cuddly cat, has become much more affectionate since the incident, with Neas commenting, "The cat gets as much attention as she wants right now because we’re just so absolutely and utterly relieved to have her back."
