JFK “Lost Cat” Incident Prompts Uproar on American Airlines’ Facebook Page

American Airlines said it is searching for a lost cat at New York’s JFK airport that apparently got loose while employees were scrambling to prepare for Hurricane Irene.

The missing feline, named Jack, has reportedly been roaming around the American Airlines’ baggage center for the past five days, but thanks to the power of social media, sympathetic animal lovers are pressuring the airline to find him.

According to Karen Pascoe, the pets owner, she first learned of the cat’s disappearance on Thursday 30 minutes before her flight was scheduled to take off.

After Ms Pascoe’s unsuccessful attempts to reach someone at the airlines for an update on Jack’s status for more than 60 hours, her sister, Mary Beth Melchoir, launched the “Jack the Cat is Lost in AA Baggage at JFK” Facebook page, which quickly attracted more than 1,000 fans.

In addition to the flood of angry messages sent by members of the “Jack the Cat” fan page, many pet lovers also took to the American Airlines’ Facebook page urging them to find Jack, prompting the airline to post a response about its efforts to find the missing cat.

“Our JFK employees are using a variety of methods to try to find Jack, including setting cans of cat food by his kennel,” American Airlines spokesman Ed Martelle told msnbc.com. “Additionally, we are working with the Mayor’s Alliance for New York City to assist in providing humane animal traps … We offer our sincere regrets for this incident and are doing everything possible to locate him.”

In addition to their rescue efforts, which include setting up “humane traps” throughout JFK, American Airlines has offered Jack’s owner, Karen, a flight to New York to personally visit the JFK operation and help assist with search efforts.

As of this posting (5pm Aug. 30), Jack the cat (seen below) is still missing.

via NY Daily