Montreal woman searches for cat last seen at Toronto Pearson airport

A Montreal woman, Abir Batikhi, is desperately searching for her seven-year-old cat, Caramel, who disappeared during a flight from Jordan to Canada over two weeks ago. Caramel was among four cats traveling with Batikhi on a non-stop flight on August 17. All four cats were securely housed in cages prior to departure. However, upon arriving in Montreal and collecting the animals, Batikhi discovered that one cage was empty.

Batikhi was informed by airport authorities that Caramel had been spotted in the cargo hold when the aircraft reached Toronto Pearson International Airport, where the flight stopped before proceeding to Montreal. The last reported sighting of Caramel was near Terminal 3, where the cat had apparently escaped onto the airport ramp area and made its way toward gates 29 and 30, marking the final known location of the missing pet.

Since then, Batikhi has turned to social media, posting updates and seeking assistance from animal lovers and employees in both Montreal and Toronto. As a cat owner since Caramel's birth, Batikhi is concerned for the animal's welfare, fearing that the scared and hungry pet may be struggling to survive. Despite repeatedly contacting airport authorities for help, Batikhi remains frustrated by the lack of progress in locating her pet.

A spokesperson for Toronto Pearson revealed that wildlife crews have been conducting regular searches of the airport grounds, employing humane live-capture traps and alerting ground crews to remain vigilant for the missing cat. Dacia Rohlehr, CEO of pet transportation company Paws En Route, emphasized that escaped animal incidents during air travel are rare, with only about 0.01 percent of the four million pets that travel annually experiencing issues.

She emphasized the stringent regulations in place to minimize the risk of animals escaping during transport, including securing kennel doors with zip ties to prevent opening during flight. Batikhi stated that the cages were secured with zip ties before departure from Jordan and inspected before the flight. However, she is uncertain whether Caramel escaped during the flight or after landing, stating, "I just need to bring back my cat."