They say cats have nine lives, but Mittens the Maine Coon might have used up a few on her accidental whirlwind tour of the skies. What started as a routine trip from Christchurch, New Zealand, to Melbourne, Australia, quickly turned into a saga worthy of its own airline loyalty program.
The Flight Plan Goes Furry
It all began innocently enough. Mittens, an 8-year-old Maine Coon with a taste for luxury (or so we assume), was tucked snugly into her carrier in the cargo hold. Her owner, Margo Neas, was ready to start a new chapter in Melbourne. Little did she know, Mittens had other plans—or, more accurately, no one realized Mittens was about to become the most well-traveled cat on Air New Zealand.
When the plane landed in Melbourne, Margo waited. And waited. And waited. Three hours later, with no cat in sight, it became clear that Mittens had missed her connection—not to another flight, but to solid ground. Turns out, her carrier had been blocked by a stowed wheelchair and forgotten during the cargo unloading process. Where was Mittens? Cruising back to Christchurch, enjoying first-class heating in the cargo hold.
A Round-Trip Feline Fiasco
The pilot, upon realizing the furry stowaway was still onboard, activated the heating system in the cargo hold to ensure Mittens traveled in style. (Because let’s face it, if anyone deserves VIP treatment, it’s a cat who didn’t sign up for this nonsense.)
While Mittens was undoubtedly enjoying her surprise layover in the skies, Margo was frantically calling every airline number she could find. “She’s probably demanding tuna and Champagne by now,” Margo joked to reporters, clearly torn between worry and imagining her cat ruling the skies.
The Return of Mittens
After completing her unexpected round trip, Mittens finally arrived back in Melbourne. By this point, she had enough air miles to qualify for a free trip to Fiji—if only cats could redeem points. Air New Zealand, no doubt feeling a mix of embarrassment and admiration for the cat’s unintentional escapade, apologized profusely and covered all costs associated with Mittens’ VIP (Very Important Pet) travel.
Buddy’s Take
So, what have we learned? First, never underestimate a Maine Coon’s ability to rack up more travel than your average Instagram influencer. Second, Mittens is clearly a trendsetter—cats flying for free? It’s only a matter of time before she’s in charge of the next airline ad campaign.
Mr. Kitty summed it up best: “Mittens has always been adventurous, but I think she’ll stick to window-watching from home for a while.”
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