Cat's out of the bag (03May'07)
A tabby took an unexpected trip this week after crawling into her owner's luggage and clearing Canadian airport security.
Mary Martell thought she was travelling alone when she packed her bags and headed to a work conference in Ontario last week.
Then she showed up at her hotel in Niagara-on-the Lake to find her cat, “Ginger” in a suitcase. The three-year-old cat slipped inside an open suitcase and had snuggled in with the clothes while an unsuspecting Martell was occupied elsewhere.
As Ginger made her way through baggage x ray it seemed the jig was up, security spotted an odd shape in the suitcase and confronted Martell about it.
"I answered no I don't believe I packed a turkey" and she said "are you sure you don't have a turkey in your bag" and I said "I have no reason to pack a turkey in my luggage." Security apparently thought the outline of Ginger looked an awful lot like that of a big bird.
But Martell's convinced them that was impossible, so her suitcase was cleared for loading. Ginger had made it into the cargo area of an Air Canada jet and was on her way to Toronto.
Martell retrieved her luggage, checked into her hotel and opened her suitcase, "I opened my suitcase and I saw this gray fur and then it dawned on me this isn't the coat this is Ginger the cat."
Martell said she initially thought her pet was dead when she opened the suitcase to find the animal inside. But then Ginger opened her eyes and looked up at her.
Ginger survived seven and a half hours traveling over 1400km in the suitcase with no apparent injuries. "If she could run outside, she will. When she was younger she would run and bolt and we've had to run and get her at the neighbors. We try and keep a closer eye on her now" Mary Martell, Ginger's owner said. "
The conversation btw the owner n the securities is hilarious! Hahaa... Its amazing that the cat managed to do tat n is unhurt! Imagine the luggage being thrown, stacked, towed.... Woo... Apparently, the cat tried the same trick once more. The owner has since packed for another trip and found Ginger back inside the suitcase. But tis time it was caught... hahahaa...