Stowaway Cats

Seren always knows ahead of time that I’ve a trip planned. Even before I take out the suitcase, she’s underfoot, checking out the clothes laid out on the bed, and generally making a pest of herself. She hops in and out of the empty bag until physically moved from the vicinity. And if I don’t watch out, she’s unpacking my carefully folded unmentionables and making a nest for herself inside the suitcase. I wonder if that’s what happened with Gracie Mae. She stowed away inside her Ft. Lauderdale owner’s suitcase, and ended up in a strange man’s home when he picked up the wrong bag. Rob Carter, of Ft. Worth, Texas, realized he had the wrong luggage as soon as he opened it--the kitten bouncing out just made the experience more bizarre. Meanwhile, Kelly and Seth Levy of Palm Beach Gardens, Florida frantically searched for their missing cat. Bathroom tiles torn out to reveal crawl spaces produced no kitten, nor did patrolling the neighborhood calling for Gracie to come home. Gracie was under Rob’s bed. Fortunately, the kitten had a collar with an identification tag. A phone call later, the stunned but relieved owners learned of the trip. Gracie was none the worse for being packed up, shipped off, X-rayed in security, manhandled in cargo, flown for four hours, and off-loaded. Seth paid the $80 to take the kitten back home. Please be sure that your kittens and cats carry identification. Many felines hate collars--Seren does--and you may think they’re safe if exclusively indoor pets. But bad stuff happens to good cats, and not every feline gets lucky.