Three weeks ago on the 24th of June, a family traveling from Germany to the USA on a Lufthansa flight into Boston airport lost their beloved cat Rowdy.
The four-year-old black cat escaped from her pet carrier as she was being transported from the airplane to the terminal.
Rowdy escapes
Chaos ensued when Rowdy made a break for it across the airport’s vast runway, immediately igniting fears for the cat’s safety.
Her family was understandably stricken with worry and spent several hours at the airport hoping to hear news of Rowdy’s safe capture.
Unfortunately, Rowdy could not be located, and when darkness fell the search was put on hold, with the airport staff reassuring the family that they would mobilize their resources and resume the search soon.
And so, with heavy hearts and without their cherished pet the crestfallen family left the airport and continued their journey.
The search begins
Thus began an extensive search for the mischievous Rowdy, which over the course of three weeks would enlist the efforts of airport staff, Lufthansa personnel, construction workers, and, animal welfare volunteers.
Soon, travelers passing through the airport and staff working there began reporting sightings of the black cat.
With every sighting, the search teams would jump into action, descending on the area where the cat was seen, placing wildlife cameras and safe-release traps.
Despite their tireless efforts, Rowdy could not be captured and remained elusively roaming through the huge airport.
Last week, the Lufthansa airline hired a professional tracker to find the wile kitty but they too were unsuccessful.
Found at last
It is believed that in the end, it was probably hunger and exhaustion that brought Rowdy into the safe hands of rescuers. On Wednesday the 13th of July it was reported that the cat had been safely captured, with an airport employee explaining to the NPR news site:
“Whether out of fatigue or hunger we’ll never know, but this morning she finally let herself be caught,”
The news that Rowdy had been found, at last, was ecstatically received by her family who was greatly relieved that the cat had not come to any harm.
One of Rowdy’s owners Patty Nolet Sahli posted the following statement on Facebook when the good news broke:
“She looks great, is happy to be with people and I am sure will be happy to be reunited with us!”