The cat is out of the bag! Curious tabby wreaks havoc on United flight from Dallas to San Francisco after leaping from owner’s arms and strutting into first-class cabin
- A sneaky cat has escaped on this domestic United Airlines flight
- “Has anyone lost a cat?” asks an amused companion in the viral video
- Finally grabbed, the cheeky pet is returned to its owner and led back to the carriage
Disaster was averted on a United domestic flight after an amused flight attendant helped reunite an adventurous cat with its owner.
The cheeky tabby, who had fled her seat on the bus in search of first-class amenities, was pulled from the aisle by a nearby attendant, who asked, “Anyone missing a cat?”
The hairy escape reportedly happened on Dec. 30 on a domestic United Airlines flight that flew from Dallas, Texas to San Francisco, California.
The video, captured by fellow flight attendant David Hislop, shows the brave flight attendant carefully guiding the growling cat down the aisle, warning passengers to “be careful” as the cat squirms and hisses.
“She doesn’t know how to hold a cat,” one passenger is heard chuckling as the flight attendant carefully guides the fugitive down the aisle
The cat in question makes a last-ditch effort to free itself, wriggling out of the attendant’s grasp and dashing back towards first class
Halfway through the cabin, the trapped kitten makes a final attempt to free itself, tearing itself out of the flight attendant’s arms and fleeing again towards the front of the plane.
“Lost your cat?” another grinning companion repeats over the speaker. “She runs around the plane. We will need you to come and claim that.”
The owner was finally identified, the resigned cat is carted back to its place again, an attempt to escape is foiled.
According to Hislop, the cat was first spotted by passengers strolling up the aisle in first class. How exactly the animal broke loose is not clear from the viral video.
As per United Airlines travel policy, pets can travel in the cabin as long as they are in a hard or soft carrier that fits under the front seat.
However, the “only rule” is that they always remain in the carrier when the door is closed.
The cat’s owner eventually comes to get it, returning the resigned pet to its supposedly safe carrier
While pets are allowed on United flights, subject to space, passengers must pay a fee of $125 each way.
Certain emotional support animals are allowed to accompany Flyers free of charge, but these are strictly classified as specially trained dogs.
A regulation introduced in 2020 by the Department of Transportation now regulates the carriage of pets on airplanes. The restriction, which outlines clear criteria for the types of service animals allowed on commercial airline flights, was in response to mounting backlash over the outlandish creatures attempting to claim passengers as “emotional support animals.”
Such outrageous attempts to fly side-by-side with beloved pets have included a woman’s attempt to bring her peacock on a United Airlines flight for “emotional support” in 2018, as well as a “comfort” turkey actually flying aboard a 2016 flight allowed to fly Delta Airlines flight.
Other recent aerial escape cases have been resolved somewhat less smoothly.
A nightmarish episode on a Delta flight to Miami in 2022 occurred when a bull terrier’s owner removed him from his carrier and placed him on the lap of an admiring seatmate.
The poor pooch immediately exploded with diarrhea and ran down the aisle, forcing passengers to raise their legs to avoid splashing.
Eventually, the plane was recaptured, cleaned, and the most affected aviators offered $75 in wine and Delta vouchers.