Smells the cat was treated to a Thanksgiving feast after he went on a surprise journey to John F. Kennedy International Airport in a traveler’s suitcase last week.
The orange feline licked his lips in front of plate of turkey with all the fixings at his Brooklyn home in a photo shared by Transportation Security Administration spokesperson Lisa Farbstein Monday.
“Smells, the cat who @TSA recently rescued from a checked bag at @JFKairport after he snuck into a suitcase in an attempt to fly to Orlando, enjoyed Thanksgiving at home in Brooklyn,” Farbstein tweeted alongside the pic.
TSA agents got a surprise when they spotted a tuft of orange fur sticking out of a person’s suitcase at the Queens airport Tuesday morning.
“We’re letting the cat out of the bag on a hiss-toric find,” the agency tweeted at the time. “This CATch had our baggage screening officers @JFKairport saying, ‘Come on meow’!”
A subsequent scan of the luggage revealed the cat had hitched a ride with his people’s house guest who has heading to Orlando, Florida.
“Apparently Smells was planning to chase after a big mouse he heard was running around Disneyworld,” Farbstein said.
The traveler had no idea Smells was inside his luggage, according to the TSA and Smells’ owners.
The furball was safely returned to his owners, who were called and came down to JFK to pick him up the same morning.
His owner, 37-year-old Brooklyn resident Alix — whose last name withheld for privacy reasons — said Smalls must have snuck into her house guest’ suitcase while she was at work.
She said authorities had suspected the man had catnapped Smalls, but in reality it was Smalls who trapped himself.
“Our cats really like to check out bags and boxes and apparently one of them climbed into his suitcase,” Alix said. “It was just an accident.”
While Alix said Smells seemed unbothered by the surprise trip, he appeared to be happy to be home — and behind a big plate of turkey and a glass of red wine.
