Of all the terrifying scenarios imagined for Jack the cat after he disappeared at John F. Kennedy International Airport in the New York Metro area back on August 25th, two months of having to live at JFK is probably one of the most frightening.
Seriously, if you’ve ever been at JFK for more than an hour, this place is a nightmare. And poor Jack the cat can’t be blamed for busting the hell out of his cat carrier during the sweltering dog days of summer at the airport, although it sent his human Karen Pascoe into a tailspin of worry. Pascoe wasn’t able to get a response from the airline for nearly three days, so she turned to a place she knew people loved and cared about cats above nearly all other living things- the internet.
A Facebook page Pascoe set up in the terrifying days following Jack the cat’s disappearance at the airport less than an hour before takeoff has received just under 20,000 likes, and the feline’s social media following took off where American Airlines seemingly dropped the ball. Of yarn. Har!
At the time, the airline said:
“Our JFK employees are using a variety of methods to try to find Jack, including setting cans of cat food by his kennel. 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.”
So the good news is that Jack the cat was found alive, and will eventually be allowed to return to Pascoe. The bad news is that the beloved pet is, per AA, far too ill to travel as he has developed fatty liver disease from malnutrition and worse, he may only have a 50/50 chance of survival. The airline said:
“American Airlines is happy to announce that Jack the Cat has been found at JFK airport. American’s team of airport employees have been focused on the search effort since Jack escaped on August 25, 2011. Jack was found in the customs room and was immediately taken by team members to a local veterinarian.
As Jack has been on his own for two months, we have now learned that he will need to remain in the care of a veterinarian for an additional period. Ms. Pascoe has been advised of these developments, and Jack will not be able to travel at this time due to the care and treatment he is receiving.”
