New York TSA Agents Find Unexpected Stowaway In Traveler’s Bag

With holiday travel at full tilt, millions of Americans are taking to the skies for vacations and family time. Of those millions, a pretty large percentage will pass through one of New York’s airports.

While New Yorkers fly, TSA agents work hard to keep the skies safe. Grumble about losing your water bottle and nail clippers all you want, but the TSA’s vigilance keeps holiday travelers safe. Of course, with the amount of bags they have to search, they do see some pretty wild stuff.

Is That Fur?

A TSA security worker at JFK airport in NYC noticed orange hair poking out of a haphazardly zipped suitcase. This understandably peaked the agent’s curiosity. When the bag passed through the x-ray machine, the agent made sure to double check the contents and it’s a good thing they did.

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Inside, along with clothes, toiletries, and a hair dryer, was Smells the cat. Seeing as the tabby likely didn’t have fare paid to their final destination, the TSA pulled the suitcase and paged the bag’s owner. The would-be cat smuggler was just as shocked as the rest of the airport: it wasn’t their cat – it was their friend’s.

Not A Purr-fect Getaway

Imagine you’re sitting at home, after a Thanksgiving visit from a friend, when you get a call from the airport that they’ve found your cat. In an elaborate escape attempt or a nap gone wrong. Nobody’s sure how or when Smells got in the suitcase, but if you have a cat, you’re probably familiar with the “If I Fits, I Sits” doctrine.

Smells is back at home in Brooklyn for the remainder of the holidays, and by the looks of things, isn't taking the loss of additional frequent flier miles too hard.