The New York Post newspaper managed to track down “Smells” – because that’s the name of the animal – and the owner Alix. She was at work and didn’t know her cat was missing until she got a call from the airport. “They asked me if I wanted to press charges,” says the 37-year-old woman from Brooklyn. “They wanted to know if there was a reason someone would steal my cat and go to Florida.” The authorities wanted to put the passenger (Alix’s guest, not the cat) on the No Fly list, but Alix was able to assure them that it wasn’t necessary. “Our cats like to sniff and hide in pockets and purses, and one of them got into the trunk. It was by accident.”
Right after the phone call, Alix’s boyfriend went to the airport to pick up Smells. To establish that the cat had remained himself. “I was worried he was going to freak out, but he didn’t even meow on the way back,” says Alix. “I gave him extra sweets and he acted like nothing happened.”
