By Asiye Latife Yilmaz
ISTANBUL (AA) - Mittens, a Maine Coon cat from New Zealand, unexpectedly became a frequent flyer when her cage was accidentally left in a plane’s cargo hold during her family’s one-way trip to Australia, resulting in three flights between the two countries in the space of just 24 hours.
Margo Neas, the high-flying cat’s owner, said on Wednesday that she waited for three hours in the plane's freight area with no sign of Mittens, age 8, being unloaded, according to British daily The Independent.
She was later told that a wheelchair had blocked the baggage handler's view of the pet cage. Ground staff then told Neas that the plane had flown back to New Zealand with Mittens still on board, a journey that took about 7 1/2 hours.
The Air New Zealand pilot was informed about the unexpected passenger during the flight and turned up the heating in the cargo hold to ensure Mittens stayed warm enough for the protracted journey.
A pet relocation company Neas had hired met Mittens when she showed up in Christchurch, New Zealand and made sure she was reboarded for the next flight to Melbourne.
Air New Zealand confirmed it would cover all costs associated with Mittens' travel and apologized for the distress caused, the daily reported.
"We'll work closely with our ground handler in Melbourne to ensure this doesn't happen again," said Alisha Armstrong, an airline spokesperson.