Pet cat goes missing at Bengaluru airport moments before flying to her owner in Spain: Report

A reunion between pet parents and a cat went awry after their furry friend went missing at the Bengaluru airport before boarding her plane to Doha, and then Madrid.

Published on: Nov 26, 2022, 15:19:11 IST

By Yamini C S | Edited by Aniruddha Dhar

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A five-year-old cat went missing under mysterious circumstances from Bengaluru's Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) on Wednesday before its flight to Spain, where it was supposed to reunite with its parents. The Times of India reported that the cat, Frieda, was travelling with two other pets of the British couple - Paula and Howard James-Scott.

The cat, Freida, was five years old. (pixabay)

The three pets- Freida and two dogs Zoeybee and Simba - were set to fly Qatar Airways to Doha and then to Madrid, from where their parents would drive them to their house in Portugal. The couple had been living in Bengaluru for the last 15 years and had first rescued Frieda after she had fallen off a building as a kitten in the city's Kadubeesanahalli. The couple moved to Portugal two months ago and had handed over the responsibility of shifting their pets to a local shelter owner Kelly Johnson who would fly with them.

Kelly had given the pets over to Qatar Airways's ground crew for boarding and was about to board the plane herself when she found out that the feline had gone missing from her special cage. Aghast and confused, the pet owners and Kelly told ToI that someone from the ground staff must have tampered with the cage as the latch was on top and could not be opened by the cat. Moreover, it had been sealed by Indian customs. The incident has left the couple heartbroken.

They had paid ₹3.3 lakh for the air travel and have not heard from the airline despite multiple queries. The cat is yet to be found. It is suspected to be lost at the terminal. Rescue attempts have so far been in vain.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yamini C S
Yamini CS is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with nearly six years of experience in digital journalism. She is part of the India News desk, where she works on a wide range of stories cutting across civic issues, city-based developments, politics, governance, public policy, breaking news, trending topics, and international affairs that have an impact on India. Her role involves tracking fast-moving developments, verifying information from official and on-ground sources, and presenting news in a clear, accessible format for a digital-first audience. A significant part of her work includes handling live blogs during major news events, such as elections, court verdicts, political developments, civic disruptions, protests, weather-related alerts, and unfolding national or international incidents. Through live coverage, she focuses on timely updates to help readers follow complex stories as they evolve. Before moving to the broader India News desk, Yamini was associated with the Bengaluru desk at Hindustan Times, where she extensively covered urban governance, infrastructure, traffic and transport issues, weather events, public grievances, and civic administration in the city. This experience strengthened her grounding in city reporting and sharpened her focus on citizen-centric journalism. She began her career as a correspondent with Reuters after completing a postgraduate diploma in journalism from the Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media. Her early training instilled a strong emphasis on accuracy, sourcing, and news ethics, which continue to shape her reporting style. Outside of work, Yamini enjoys reading across genres, listening to music, and spending time with her family, which help her maintain balance in a fast-paced newsroom environment.Read More

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